Searching
by BoarderKC
Summary: The DigiDestined are on a road trip across America in search of the thirteenth DigiDestined, Izzy's twin sister. Against setbacks and obstacles they find her. But the could be doing more damage to her then good for them.
1. Cassandra

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
A/N: I started one more series, sorry to all those who are waiting for Broken, Savior and A Little Longer. I have had SO many ideas lately, but I haven't been letting myself start any new series. But this idea was too good, in my opinion at least. I really had to work on this, so here we go.  
  
Oh yeah, this is taking a look into Izzy's past. My first Izzy centered fic.  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
"I have to go," the little girl announced as she awkwardly pushed her dark red hair out of her face. "I'll miss you."  
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"Happy birthday Sora!" Her friends shouted as the red haired girl stepped into the room.  
  
She gave a small gasp as she gazed around the room. "Oh my gosh! You guys threw me a surprise party?" Her home was decorated with streamers and a happy birthday sign. Boxes of pizza sat on the table beside bottles of soda and cups. Her friends, the DigiDestined, stood in the center, grinning from ear to ear. She hugged each one of them. "Thank you so much you guys!"  
  
"Don't thank us. Thank Izzy," Tai replied.  
  
"Yeah, he planned the entire thing," Matt added.  
  
Kari nodded. "We just helped put up decorations."  
  
Sora turned to her boyfriend who still stood by the door, grinning smugly. "You doofus," she laughed as she kissed him. "You dragged me all over town so they could set this up?" She hugged him tightly. "I love you so much."  
  
"Hey, if I can get some of that then I planned the entire thing!" Tai yelled as he held out his arms. Yolie jumped into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. He groaned. "Thanks Yolie."  
  
"No problem," she laughed.  
  
"Well let's get this party started!" Matt announced as he cracked up the stereo. Everyone headed for the living room where all the furniture had been pushed back for a make shift dance floor. No one really bothered to dance, but the twelve teens stood around, talking and munching on pizza. Somehow Kari did manage to convince Ken to dance with her, which ended with Kari more trying to teach Ken how to dance as her brother watched suspiciously from where he stood with Matt and TK. Yolie laughed as Davis tried to do the robot.  
  
Sora walked up behind Izzy and put her hands over his eyes. "Hmmm, I wonder who that could be." He whipped around and grabbed her waist, pulling her into a hug.  
  
"You're a very sarcastic little computer nerd, you know that?" She laughed. She leaned in close to him. "You know, this does make me officially older then you," she taunted.  
  
"By four months," he rolled his eyes. "Like I care." He kissed her. "Happy eighteenth birthday Sora."  
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"I have to go," the little girl announced as she awkwardly pushed her dark red hair out of her face. "I'll miss you."  
  
"No," he begged. "We gotta stick together."  
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Izzy sat up in bed. What a weird dream. What was with that girl? It was going on a month of weird dreams now. He put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. What did it all mean?  
  
He pushed himself out of bed and shivered as the cold night air attacked him. He rubbed his bare arms as he made his way out of his room and into the kitchen to get a drink of water. He took a sip of the water as he tried to sort through the weird dreams in his head. This was all too odd, and illogical. How could he be dreaming and interacting with a girl that he had never met?  
  
He finished his drink and started to walk about to his room. He paused upon seeing light coming out of his room. Light? He didn't turn on any lights. He hurried into his room and stopped in the doorway. His computer had turned on and the DigiPort was up on the screen.  
  
'Never a dull moment for the DigiDestined,' he thought. "No! There's no way in hell I'm going to the Digital World at three in the morning!" He walked over to the computer to shut off the monitor only to get sucked in anyway.  
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"Good morning Koushiro."   
  
Izzy forced himself off the wet grass and looked up at the jedi-like man standing a few feet away. "Hi Gennai," he replied irritated. "Nice to see you at three in the morning."  
  
Gennai laughed. "You weren't asleep anyway."  
  
"That didn't mean I wanted to come to the DigiWorld. Look at me I'm dressed in my boxers…" He looked down only to find himself dressed in baggy kaki shorts and a blue tee shirt.  
  
"Better?" Gennai asked.  
  
"Not really. I'M STILL HERE AT THREE IN THE MORNING!" He yelled.  
  
"Yes, you said that already," Gennai laughed.  
  
"Okay Gennai. This better not be a social call," Izzy continued to grumble. "There better be an evil demon on the loose for you to pull me here!"  
  
"Well, its not quite that bad, but its not a social call," Gennai replied with a shake of his head. "And honest I had no idea it was three in the morning."  
  
"Gennai, you have a watch."  
  
Gennai looked down at his wrist and quickly tore off his silver watch. "Hehe, never mind…Okay, anyway, Koushiro, I brought you here to warn you and ask you a question."  
  
"Well, warn away," Izzy shrugged.  
  
"I'm going to ask the question first," Gennai replied. Izzy rolled his eyes. "Why'd you stop looking?"  
  
"I cannot answer that question without more information."  
  
Gennai shook his head. "You think too logically my boy. Why did you stop looking for information on your real parents?"  
  
Izzy opened his mouth, but shut it again. Where the hell was this coming from? "Because I didn't need to. I have my parents and I that's all I need."  
  
Gennai started walking and Izzy followed curious. "I always figured that you'd start questioning your heritage, so I never interfered with your life. But you never did and that is now a problem for the Digital World."  
  
"How is there a problem for the Digital World just because I never inquired about my real parents?"  
  
"Koushiro, this actually has nothing to do with your parents," Gennai said as he stopped and looked at Izzy. "You are the first born of a set of twins."  
  
"I'm what?!"  
  
"You have a twin sister."  
  
"A twin? A twin sister?" He opened his mouth and shut it again. Once more he was speechless, the second time that day. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I still don't understand why this has anything to do with the Digital World."  
  
"Your sister is the thirteenth DigiDestined," Gennai answered.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Your eighteenth birthday is coming up. You both will be turning eighteen. In the world your coming of age and you are officially an adult. That means it is imperative that you find her before you turn eighteen."  
  
"Why? Why is it so important that I find her before I err…we turn eighteen?" Izzy inquired.  
  
"In the Digital World you can only become a DigiDestined when you're innocent and pure of heart. When your child. Eighteen is an adult. If your birthday passes and she doesn't become a DigiDestined, it'll be to late. One of the crests will not be fulfilled and one prophecy will not be completed."  
  
"I understand. So why don't you just pull her into the Digital World? It'll be easy then sending me."  
  
"This has to be your quest. This is a quest of the heart. You're her brother. I think you would be more apt for this."  
  
"But she doesn't know who I am. Why would I be more qualified?" He rubbed his temples as he tried to think. He looked up at Gennai, onyx eyes burning with suspicion. "What are you not telling me?"  
  
"This undertaking is entirely your task. You may have your friends help, but I cannot."  
  
"There's more. That's not it." Gennai didn't answer. "Well, where is she? What's her name? What does she look like?"   
  
"Her name is Cassandra Mizuhara. She lives in the United States. She looks like this." He held up a photograph. Izzy took it and studied it. It was a girl with dark red hair that hung around her shoulders. Her onyx colored eyes darkened her pale face.  
  
"There are a lot of cities in the US. Wanna narrow it down?"  
  
"Like I said, this is a quest. Here, I'd go to this place first." He handed a piece of paper to Izzy who quickly read over it.  
  
"This is an apartment receipt from 1994. That's thirteen years ago."  
  
"Sorry my boy. That's the best I can do. Here." He held up a digivice and tag and crest. Izzy took them. "Good luck." Izzy watched as the older man walked off and disappeared.  
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"What?!" Tai shouted. "There's a thirteenth DigiDestined?"  
  
"You have a twin sister?" Sora asked.  
  
Izzy sighed, "Yep." He pulled the picture of his "sister" from his wallet and showed it to the group.  
  
Tai took it and laughed. "You are not related to this girl! She's kinda hot, and well, your not."  
  
"Thank you Tai. Its always reassuring to know that you don't think I'm hot," Izzy replied sarcastically.   
  
He yawned and Sora leaned against him. "Poor baby didn't get enough sleep. Your kinda cranky." She giggled, "But if it makes you feel any better I think you're hot." She tickled his nose with a piece of grass.   
  
"Lemme see!" Matt snatched the photo out of Tai's hand. "I guess she's hot," he shrugged before passing the picture to Kari who sat beside him.  
  
"So you have to find this girl," Joe recapped. "This Cassandra Mizuhara by your eighteenth birthday in two months and the only clue you have is an old apartment lease that's thirteen years old. Did I get it all in there?"  
  
"Yeah," Izzy confirmed as he stretched out in the grass. The park was incredibly full to day, but they had found a great spot to talk away from all the people.  
  
"Well when you say it that way, you make it sound so easy," Davis said cynically as he played with Yolie's hair. Yolie had her head rested in his lap as she studied the picture of Cassandra.  
  
"She certainly looks like you, Izzy," she commented.  
  
"So," Tai rubbed his hands together as a mischievous smile spread across his face. "Who's up for a little road trip in the USA?"  
  
"Tai, I must object. This is my "quest" and I won't make you guys do this."  
  
"Look at it this way, how about you, me, Sora, Matt and Mimi go? We just graduated, one last major trip before we go off to college. We can sight see and search for this girl at the same time."  
  
"I'm game," Matt replied, excited.  
  
"I'll definitely go," Sora smiled. Izzy shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. She cut him off, "No! If you go, I go."   
  
"I can't," Mimi announced. "I have summer session at NYU."  
  
"Well, I guess were not invited," TK spoke up for the younger kids.  
  
"Nope!" Matt laughed. "Can't have a bunch of little kids ruining our fun!" He ruffled TK's hair playfully.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes Tai caught Kari whisper something to Ken. "We're taking Ken," he suggested suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him. "No telling what he and Kari might do when I'm there to supervise." Kari crossed her arms looking mad while Ken turned a dark shade of crimson. The others laughed at him.  
  
"So we leave next week?" Matt asked.  
  
"My uncle can get you a discount on plan tickets. And my cousin can get you a really good, cheap rental car," Yolie offered.  
  
"Wait!" Izzy yelled. "Your getting a little ahead of yourselves. I never agreed to this trop. It will be strictly business."  
  
"Such a spoil sport," Tai grumbled.  
  
"Come on Izzy. It'll be great," Sora smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "We'll find Cassandra, don't worry. But let's have some fun. Don't let Gennai ruin your summer." She glanced at the group. They were all busy listening to Yolie go on about her entire family being in some form of transportation as their career. "Beside, you never know what could happen in a hotel room far, far away from our parents." She nibbled on his ear playfully.  
  
He gulped. "I-I suppose we could do this." His voice cracked slightly. Sora laughed.  
  
"Alright!" Tai cheered.  
  
"I'll call my uncle for you," Yolie offered.  
  
"Thanks," Izzy nodded.  
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Izzy walked into the apartment he shared with his mom and dad. "I'm home," he called as he kicked off his shoes. He walked into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner happily. "Hi mom."  
  
She looked up. "Welcome home," she smiled. "I didn't hear you come in."  
  
He lifted the lid to a pot on the stove and a cloud of steam hit his face. "Smells good," he smiled. "Is dad home?"  
  
"Yeah, he's in the study," she replied as she pushed passed him to stir the pot.  
  
"Alright. I'll go get him. I have to talk to you guys."  
  
She looked at him, her soft features set in a worried expression. He turned away and walked down the hall, into his father's study. He saw the older man hunched over the computer. "Dad."  
  
His father looked up. "Hey son, when did you get home?"  
  
"A minute ago. Can I talk to you, dad?"  
  
"Yeah, shoot."  
  
"No, out in the kitchen with mom," he corrected. His father stood up and followed his son into the kitchen. His wife was waiting there looking uneasy.  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" His aging father asked.  
  
"I need you to just listen." This comment didn't alleviate their concern, but they nodded. "On Monday I'm going on a trip with Sora, Matt, and Tai. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone and I'm not sure where exactly we'll be, but it'll be in the United States. We're going to look for my…for my twin sister."  
  
His mother's eyes widened and his father's jaw clenched. "So you know?" He asked calmly. His brown eyes gave away the distress he felt.  
  
"Yeah, Gennai told me."  
  
"Gennai?"  
  
"Yes. I have to find her before my eighteenth birthday. It has something to do with DigiDestined and the Digital World."  
  
"You don't know how long you'll be gone?" His mother asked.   
  
"Until I find her," Izzy shrugged. His father opened his mouth, but Izzy cut him off. "I just want to say this. This is just for the Digital World. I have no interest in looking up information on my real parents. I don't want anything to do with that life. You are my parents for all I care. Please don't think I'm abandoning you."  
  
"Koushiro!" His mother hugged him. "I love you so much! Its all right you want to know about your parents, we understood. And we know your not abandoning us."  
  
"Take as long as you need," his father added.  
  
"Thank you." Overcome with relief he hugged his parents, his mom and dad who raised him, tightly.  
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"All set?" He looked up from his ticket to see Sora with her carryon hanging off her shoulder.  
  
He nodded. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Did you check in?"  
  
"Of course I checked in. And not everyone got here two hours early," she laughed.  
  
"Not two," he corrected. "One."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "So are Matt and Tai here?"  
  
"Yeah. Tai went to go get candy for the trip and Matt went to use the bathroom," Izzy answered.  
  
"That's all we need, Tai sugared up." Izzy laughed.  
  
"Now boarding flight 265 to New York, New York," the intercom announced.  
  
"That's us," Izzy said to her.  
  
Tai ran up holding a plastic bag in his hand. "I got some for everyone," he grinned.  
  
"Oh my god, its Yamato Ishida!" Someone yelled.   
  
The group looked up to see Matt running towards them. "Board the plane! Board the plane!" He yelled. He ran passed them and to the counter where he thrust his ticket at the attendant. Tai, Izzy and Sora looked to see a group of girls running towards Matt who slipped onto the plane. The three broke into a fit of hysterics.  
  
They got onto the plane and found Matt in his seat, hiding. He looked up at them and smiled sheepishly. "Did those girls board?"  
  
"Nah," Tai shook his head as he tried to control his laughter. "They were headed towards Palm Springs."  
  
"How do you know?" Izzy asked as he stuck his and Sora's bags in the overhead.  
  
"I got one of their numbers," he chuckled.  
  
Sora looked at Izzy. "You want window?" He shook his head. She sat down in the row behind Tai and Matt and he took a seat and fidgeted uncomfortably. "Izzy, what's wrong?" He shook his head. "Ooo, sweetie, you've never flown huh?"  
  
He shook his head again. "First time. Can't say I can relax much."  
  
"I can fix that!" Tai announced as he poked his head over the seat. He handed Izzy a little bottle. "That'll relax you," he laughed.  
  
"A mini bottle of liquor?" Sora asked with a shake of her head. She took the bottle from Izzy and a playful smile crept up her face. "I can do better then that for free." She leaned over and began to kiss Izzy.  
  
"Please fasten your seat belts, the plane will be taking off."  
  
Sora sat back down. "Don't even think about it Tai! I might charge you."  
  
The plane took off and she put her hand into his. "Ready for this adventure?"  
  
"No," he answered. "Let's just find her."  
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Okay, I admit the last scene was week, but this will get better. I really really like this idea. And this isn't just about Izzy's sister; I'm going to bring stuff in about his folks too.  
  
Please review, thank you… 


	2. Albany, New York

Okay, first of all thank you for the reviews! It was great to know people were reading this. Second, yes I remember that Izzy's parents died in a car accident. But that's only what his adoptive parents told him. That may not be the case. There's something to ponder. Well, on with the fic…  
  
Oh yeah, I know I said that Matt, Tai, Sora, and Izzy were going to New York, New York, but I changed that. Its now Albany, New York.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
Tai opened the door to the hotel room and walked in, followed by Matt, Izzy and Sora. He gazed around in awe at the penthouse sweet hotel room. "Holy crap, this is cool!"  
  
"I told you I had connections," Matt replied smugly as he set his bag down on the couch.  
  
"You really stayed here?" Tai asked as he began to explore the room, traveling in and out of doors.  
  
"Oh yeah," he smirked. "Had a wild party too!"  
  
"Wow, this is beautiful Matt," Sora gasped.  
  
Matt took her hand. "I shall give you the grand tour, my dear." He pulled her deeper into the room. "This is the living room. You have the beautiful sofa, imitation paintings from artist who have been dead for years and the entertainment center with a TV, DVD, VCR, and five disc CD changer. Off to the left we have the first bedroom, which comes complete with a queen size bed, personal bathroom, and a nice view of the city. Then to our right we have the other bedroom, which also comes complete with a queen size bed, personal bathroom, and beautiful view."  
  
"So, who gets what room?" Izzy asked.  
  
"Well, uh," Matt and Tai shared evil grins. "Tai and I will share this room and you and Sora can share the other!" Izzy and Sora exchanged blushing looks. Tai and Matt laughed at them.  
  
"You two are perverted idiots," Sora shook her head.  
  
"So tomorrow we'll go to that apartment building and talk to the manager," Izzy informed the group.  
  
"Awwww, can't we sightsee?" Tai asked.  
  
Izzy glared at him. "This is the exact reason I wanted to go alone! This trip is strictly-"  
  
"Strictly business," Tai and Matt repeated, mockingly.  
  
Izzy glared at them. "I told you that before we came! I just want to do find her and go back to Japan." Tai and Matt just rolled their eyes. "You guys should go out and sight see. I'm going to do some work." Picking up his bag he walked into the room Matt had designated for him. He sat down on the queen size bed and pulled out his laptop.  
  
The door opened and Sora walked in, carrying her own bag. She sighed upon seeing Izzy hunched over his yellow pineapple laptop. "Izzy, for five minutes can't you live without that thing?" She asked. He grunted in response. She set her own bag down. "Come on, let's have some fun. Go sight seeing with us."  
  
"I wanna get this work done," he refused.  
  
"Izzy, we're in New York, we have to do a little sight seeing. This may not be New York, New York, but its still a new place. Let's go out, pretty please," she begged, pushing the lid of the laptop close. "Matt and Tai are going out. I'm going with them. Come, please. Tomorrow we will go to those apartments and find out what we need."  
  
He looked up at her. "Your not going to take no for an answer, are you?"  
  
She grinned. "Nope. The day is young, its only 10. We'll look around for the rest of the day, then tomorrow we'll do whatever you want."  
  
A mischievous grin crossed his face. "What if you and me do what I want tonight?" She blushed. He laughed. He grabbed her by the waist and threw her down gently on the bed. She giggled as he kissed her and the tickled her neck.  
  
"EW!"A voice yelled. They both looked up to see Tai and Matt in the open doorway. "A little kinky, ain't it?" Tai asked Matt.  
  
"Oh yeah," the blonde teen laughed.  
  
Izzy gave a defeated sigh and got off the bed, helping Sora up as he did. "Ready to go?" He asked them. "Sora convinced me to go sightseeing with you guys for today. But tomorrow we're going to those apartment buildings!"  
  
"M'kay," Tai grinned. "Let's move out." He ran for the front door with Matt behind him. "I call shot gun!" Izzy held out his hand and Sora took it. They followed the boys out.  
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"Is this the place?" Matt asked as they pulled up to the Cook Creek apartments.  
  
Izzy checked the invoice for the address. "Yeah." He hopped out of the car. "I'll run in real quick," he informed, leaning into the car through the front open window. "I'll see if I can get a change of address of something and then we'll go get a bite to eat or something."  
  
Matt put the car into park. "Alright, we'll be right here." He hit Tai in the chest. "If we can keep Tai entertained long enough."  
  
"Hey!" Tai snapped insulted.  
  
Izzy snickered as he turned away from the car and followed the signs to the office of the Cook Creek apartments. He entered the brightly lit room and approached the desk where an ebony haired female sat looking at a magazine and popping her gum, which she chewed loudly. He cleared his throat when she didn't acknowledge his presence. "Can I help you sir?" She asked, her voice high and nasally.  
  
"Yeah, can I speak to the manager or whoever's in charge?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a sec. ROGER!"  
  
A tall man in his late thirties walked in. His eyes were hidden behind dark mirrored sunglasses and his skin was a golden brown from spending too much time in the sun. "Yeah?"  
  
"This man wants to speak with you," the gum-snapping woman said.   
  
The man looked up at Izzy and flashed him a white toothy grin. "How can I help you?" He asked as he pulled off his sunglasses. He had a farmer's tan where his sunglasses had been.  
  
"I'm trying to find someone who used to live here. I was hoping you could look up the name on your records and see if there's a change of address or something." Izzy pulled the yellowed invoice from his pocket and handed it to the manager.  
  
Roger ran a hand through his grown out blue hair as he read over the paper. "Uh, I don't have the authority to give you that information. Technically those records are off-limits to the public. Sorry." He played with a strand of blue hair as he handed the paper back to Izzy.  
  
Izzy shoved it back into his hand. "Please! Its incredibly important!"  
  
Roger's smile disappeared. "Listen buddy, I can't do that! By law those records are off limits to you! Now get out before I call the cops." He crumpled up the invoice and shoved it into Izzy's chest.   
  
He caught it in his hands and his shoulders hunched in defeat. "Okay, I'll go. Sorry to bother you." He walked out of the air-conditioned office, ignoring the annoying ring of the bell over the door, and into the hot, muggy parking lot. Shielding his eyes with his hand he spotted the faded red compact car he and his friends had rented. Every window was rolled down, Tai's head hung out of the front passenger's window, a pair of black shades covering his eyes and Sora's bare feet stuck out from the back passenger's side window. A familiar Teenage Wolves tune blared from the speaker. Izzy tickled Sora's foot to make her pull back and he got in the car.  
  
"So?" Matt asked expectantly as he tapped on the steering wheel in tune with the music. Tai turned it down to hear Izzy speak.  
  
"I couldn't get any information," he reported, sounded defeated.  
  
"We figured as much," Matt shrugged.  
  
"Huh?" Izzy inquired confused. "You expected me to fail?"  
  
"No exactly," Sora admitted. "Okay down to business. Manager girl or guy?"  
  
"Guy-"  
  
"Age?"  
  
"Late thirties maybe. I'm not sure exactly."  
  
"Perfect," Sora said with a small smile.  
  
Before he could ask what she was talking about, Tai popped up on his knees facing Izzy, looking serious. "Anyone else in the office?"  
  
"The receptionist."  
  
"Guy or girl? Age?" Tai pressed on.  
  
"Girl, early twenties. What's with the anomalous inquiry?" Izzy demanded, his head spinning in confusion.  
  
His three friends exchanged glances. "In English Izzy?" Matt asked.  
  
"What's with the whacked questions?" Izzy corrected himself, dumbing down his English. (Okay I realize dumb is not a verb, but I use it as a verb quite often so don't yell at me. This is why I will never be an English major!)   
  
Sora looked at the two guys in the front seat, ignoring her boyfriend's question. "You guys know the plan, right? Matt, you've got the receptionist. Tai, your look out." Tai groaned and mumbled something like 'I'm always look out'. Izzy's eyes bulged slightly and his mouth dropped open as he watch Sora tug at the bottom of her shirt to reveal a little cleavage. "Tai, if your eyes go any lower then my neck I'm going to slap you a new face." Tai grinned as Sora finish straightening her shirt. "Let's go." The three got out of the car and Izzy scrambled out to follow them.  
  
"Okay Izzy, Sora will go first. Then me and Tai. Tai'll be at the door and when he gives you the signal, you go into the office and find what you need. Leave the rest to us," Matt instructed as he popped a mint into his mouth.  
  
"Um, okay. I take it that the three of you have done this before," Izzy suspected breathlessly.  
  
"Uh, do you remember that senior prank with the photocopies of half the senior class's permanent records, Principal Tomico's toupee up the flagpole and the school mascot cover in shaving cream?" Tai asked as he smoothed back his hair.  
  
"The next words out of your mouth better not be claiming any responsibility to that!" Izzy replied as he rubbed his temples.  
  
"Then you may want to plug your ears," Tai snickered. He and Matt exchanged high five and Sora rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hold in the giggle she got at the thought of their prank.  
  
The four stopped outside the doors of the office. "Okay, I'm going in." She sounded like the hero out of a James Bond flick.  
  
"Wait." Matt stopped her and gave her a look over. He pulled a few strands of ginger colored hair into her face, pushing it over her eyes. Then, with a final tug at the bottom of her shirt, which caused her to call out in surprise, he stepped back. "There," he laughed as she grimaced. "All better."  
  
Sora rolled her eyes and stepped into the office. The three guys watched from their hiding spots behind three large plastic palm trees as Roger walked out of the back office and led Sora through the side entrance, his arm around her waist. They waited about two minutes before Matt went in with Tai following a couple of feet behind. Matt quickly engaged in a conversation with the woman behind the front desk and Tai pretended to be interested in the tacky paintings that decorated the walls inside. The brown haired boy glanced over at Matt and the distracted secretary. He looked back at Izzy and mouthed 'Stay low' and made a hand gesture of pushing at the floor. He waved Izzy forward. 'Hurry.'  
  
Izzy hurried into the office hunched over. The bell over the door went off and Tai stepped on his back, pushing the red head to the floor. He grinned one of his goofy smiles and leaned against the door and Izzy with his weight, "Oops, leaned against the door," he said at the pair by the desk.   
  
From his position on the floor, Izzy could see Matt's eyes light up with amusement of seeing Tai squirm and Izzy being squashed under Tai's foot. He looked back at the girl at the desk. "So Hilary, you single?" He said it to draw attention from Tai. There was strain in his voice, as if it were painful to ask the girl.  
  
Izzy didn't waste any time. He was up on his hands and knees, still struggling under Tai's foot. Tai was getting far too much entertainment out of this position.  
  
'I am seriously going to maim Tai!' Izzy thought.  
  
When Tai's foot was off his back, he had made his way to the back office and to the computer. There had to be some record of this Mizuhara guy. Ten minutes of typing, a sound he loved, passed before Izzy found anything.  
  
"They're back!" Tai suddenly screamed. Izzy looked up. 'How the hell was that part of the plan?'  
  
"Don't mind him," Izzy heard Matt say. "He's a little unstable in the mind. But we'd better HURRY so that I can get him home."   
  
Izzy grabbed the printed sheet from the printer tray table and bolted out of the room on his hands and knees. Once he was safely out the door, Matt said goodbye to the girl and guided Tai out of the building. Once they were all safely hidden behind the shelter of the plastic palm tree grove the three burst out laughing after Izzy punched Tai in the jaw. A minute later Sora walked in, her smile strained. She left the building and approached the boys.  
  
"Izzy, your sister better be one damn good DigiDestined, because if I get my ass grabbed one more time, I'm going to slaughter someone," she said. Tai reached, but Izzy grabbed his hand and pushed him to the ground. The three turned and headed back to the car, with Tai struggling to catch up with them.   
  
"So where we off to next Izzy?" Matt asked.  
  
Izzy read over the paper as his arm snaked around Sora's shoulders. "Washington D.C."  
  
  
  
Okay, this was probably extremely out of charater and no where near my best work, but sorry. I had fun with this chapter. The next four or five chapters will probably be short. Later dayz, please reivew. 


	3. Washington D.C.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
They passed the Washington monument as they walked through Washington D.C. Matt stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You hear everyone talk about how big all this stuff is, but when you've fought a monster that can take up five Odiaba blocks standing up and sitting down, this all seems average."  
  
Tai stopped and saluted the monument. "Doesn't make what they stand for any less/"  
  
"I guess," Matt shrugged.  
  
"Are we almost at this girl's house?" Tai asked as he kicked at the ground.  
  
"Almost," Izzy replied. They entered a nice looking neighbor hood. Large green trees lined the street and stood like a canopy over the two story houses that occupied the lots.  
  
"Wow," Matt smirked. "How plush. This girl's got it good."  
  
"There it is," Izzy pointed out. The three other's looked up at a two-story house painted white with four windows decorating the front.  
  
"Looks cheery enough," Tai observed as they walked up the drive. Izzy nodded, but kept his eyes on the brown front door. "So how did this Mizuhara guy get your sister anyway? I mean, why didn't your parents take her too?"  
  
  
"Uh I don't know," Izzy replied with a shake of his head. "I'll have to ask my parents."  
  
"Well, are you gonna ring the bell or what?" Tai asked impatiently.  
  
"Oh yeah." Izzy pressed the orange illuminated doorbell beside the door. They could hear a muffled 'ding dong' from inside.  
  
The door opened to reveal a tall, black haired man. He stared at them through charcoal colored eyes, with a look on his hard, slightly aged face, that was warm. "Yes, can I help you?" He locked eyes with each of them, freezing on Izzy's.  
  
"Uh hi, my name is Koushiro Izumi and I-" Izzy started.  
  
The man's eyes widened. "What? Repeat your name."  
  
"Koushiro Izumi." When the man didn't say anything Izzy continued. "I'm looking for a girl by the name of Cassandra Mizuhara. Does she live here by any chance?"  
  
The man's eyes seemed to ignite at the name. "No Cassandra doesn't live here. Now please go away."  
  
He tried to shut the door, but Matt put his foot in the way. "Listen sir, you know more then you're telling us. Now we've come a very long way and the fact is you're our only lead on this girl. Please help us out." It wasn't a question; it was a demand.   
  
The man could see the fire in Matt's eyes, knowing the blond teen would not back down and gave a defeated sigh. He stepped out of the house, briefly glancing over his shoulder, back inside. Izzy followed the man's gaze and saw into the kitchen of the house where a woman was shuffling around. The man closed the door, blocking any further view. "Listen, I haven't heard from Cassandra in almost eight years. I doubt there's anything I can do for you." He locked eyes with Izzy again. "What do you want?"  
  
"Is there an address you can give us where we could find her?" This time Sora spoken and silently Izzy thanked her because for some reason he couldn't find his voice. The fact that every three seconds the man would look at him, trying to eat through his skin or something with his charcoal eyes.  
  
"Uh, last I heard she was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. But that was eight years ago. Let me get the address." He turned and walked inside, closing the door behind himself.  
  
"What is with this guy?" Matt asked.  
  
"I don't know, but if you ask me he keeps giving Izzy here the look down. Some body has the hots for Izzy," Tai laughed.  
  
"He's hiding something," Izzy reasoned.  
  
"Forever paranoid, aren't you?" Tai rolled his eyes. "But you're right, he's hiding something. What do ya suppose-"  
  
The door opened and the man walked out carrying an envelope. "Here," he said as he closed the door. "This is the address of the foster home." His voice had been reduced to a whisper.  
  
Izzy took the envelope. "Foster home?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, Cassandra was part of the foster care system," the man replied. "Now will you please go away and leave me be. You've got what you want." He went back into the house, slamming the door in their faces.  
  
"He sure was friendly," Tai said sarcastically.  
  
"Forget him," Matt snapped brashly. "We got what we came for." The man's attitude had got to him.  
  
They started to walk out of the neighborhood. "So we're off to Louisiana?" Sora asked.  
  
"Yep," Izzy nodded. "I'll call in the tickets and see when we can go."  
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"Come on Matt!" Tai yelled as he pounded on the bathroom door.   
  
Izzy rolled his eyes as he passed the two. He entered the living room where Sora sat on the phone. "Yes mama, Koushiro and the other boys have been taking care of me. No we haven't had any trouble and Gennai is paying for everything." She put her hand over the receiver. "Izzy, where are you going?" She asked in a hushed voice so her mother wouldn't hear she wasn't listening.  
  
He sat down beside her. "I'm going back to that guy's house. I have a couple of questions to ask him," Izzy replied as he pulled on his shoes.  
  
"Yes, mama, I'll tell him. Yeah, he's right here." She pulled the phone away from her ear. "Izzy, she wants to talk to you."  
  
He took the phone and held it to his ear with his shoulder. "Hello Mrs. Takenouchi. How have you been?"  
  
"I've been good and yourself?" Came the sweet voice of Sora's mother.  
  
"Good, busy," he answered.  
  
"I see you're still not very talkative. I thought maybe America would have changed you, or my daughter would have." They both laughed. "Well, I just want to wish you good luck with the rest of your search and thank you for taking care of my daughter."  
  
"Your welcome, although you really don't have to worry about Sora. She has a way of taking care of herself."  
  
"Well thank you anyway."  
  
"Mrs. Takenouchi, as always it was a pleasure talking to you, but I have to go so I'm gonna give the phone back to Sora."  
  
"Wait before you go there was something I wanted to talk to you about first. Now I know that you and Sora are grown up now, but I don't want you taking advantage over her."  
  
"Wha-what?" Izzy gasped, nearly dropping the phone. "Mrs-Mrs. Takenouchi, you have no reason to be worried. I would never- I swear, I mean." He calmed himself down. "Don't worry. She's safe."  
  
"Thank you Koushiro, you can give the phone to Sora again."  
  
Izzy pulled the phone from his ear and handed it to Sora. She put her hand over the receiver again. "Did she give you the talk, Izzy?" She asked her red-faced boyfriend.  
  
"Yeah, pretty much," he replied as he finished lacing his shoes.  
  
"Sorry," she laughed. "Go ahead and take the car. Matt, Tai, and I are just going to go do to the White House. I'm going to drag Tai through the three o'clock tour." She put the phone to her ear. "Yes mama, I'm still here."  
  
He got up and kissed her before walking out of the hotel room. He walked out to their Passat parked outside and drove back to the man's house. He hopped out of the car and rang the doorbell.  
  
A brunette woman opened the door, a large friendly smile on her face. "Hi can I help you?"  
  
"Uh yeah, is your husband home by any chance? I was hoping to talk to him," Izzy said politely.  
  
"Yes, he's home. Come on in." He stepped inside the cool house and she shut the door. "Follow me." He followed her down a blue painted hall lined with family photos. Their footsteps echoed on the wooden floor as she led him through the house, into the kitchen. She stopped at a door inside the kitchen. "He's down stairs in his study, go on down."  
  
He nodded. "Thank you." He opened the door and walked down the stairs. At the bottom he turned into a large room. The room looked like a cross between a bar and a library. One side of the room was covered in books and a desk faced the stairs. One the other side was a bar and three maroon booths. The man sat at the bar; drink in hand, reading a thick book. "Excuse me," Izzy announced.   
  
The man's head snapped up. "How'd you get down here?"  
  
"The-the woman upstairs led me down," Izzy replied.  
  
"Well then what do you want boy?"  
  
"I want to ask you a couple of questions. About Cassandra. I came by with some friends-"  
  
"I know who you are!" The man snapped. "What I don't know is why you insist on hounding me for answers about her." Izzy said nothing as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Well, son, have a seat." There was nervous tension on the word 'son'. Izzy stepped forward and sat down on the barstool. "What would you like to drink?"  
  
"Oh I don't drink. Can't hold my liquor well," Izzy laughed. The man shrugged and poured himself a drink from one of the miscellaneous bottles behind the bar. "Mr. Mizuhara, how'd you get custody of Cassandra?"  
  
"How long have you been looking for her? How'd you get this address?" He asked, swirling his drink in his hand.  
  
"We started last week, in Albany. We got a change of address at an old apartment complex." He paused realizing they were speaking Japanese. "How'd you know I spoke Jap?"  
  
"You hide your accent well, but my ears are trained to hear it. Japanese is my native tongue, I speak it better then English at times."  
  
"Mr. Mizuhara, how'd you get custody of Cassandra?" Izzy repeated his question.  
  
"Why are you trying to find her?"  
  
"Because she's my sister," Izzy stated hastily. "Please answer-"  
  
"That's not a good enough answer. You're almost eighteen years old. Why are you waiting this long to find her?" The man snapped, coal eyes staring into Izzy's.  
  
"How'd you know I'm almost eighteen-"  
  
"Cassandra told me all about her twin brother. I know her age now so I figured your age is the same. Answer my question."  
  
"Because I don't want to find her!" Izzy snapped as he slammed his fist on the bar. "I have to find her, it's a duty I have to fulfill, otherwise I would not be here!"  
  
"That's an interesting answer, Koushiro Izumi. Is this for the DigiDestined?" His coal eyes glowed as he took in the shock in Izzy's face. "You not going to get any information from me son so go home. Although I'd place a call to your folks. They may know some things you'd find relevant." The man lit a cigarette. "It was nice seeing you again. Good luck in Baton Rouge." With that the charcoal-eyed man went back to his reading.  
  
"Bye," Izzy whispered. He stood up and walked out of the house, mind working over the entire conversation.  
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He ran his hand over the bare arm that encircled his waist. "Will you just go to sleep?" She whispered to him. "You're starting to tickle me." With a sigh he sat up, then pushed himself out of bed. "Izzy?" She asked sitting up.  
  
"I'm going to make a phone call. Just go to bed, I'll be back in a few minutes," he whispered, pulling on a white muscle shirt. He padded out to the living room and sat down on the couch beside the phone. Picking up the receiver he punched in the number he wanted.  
  
"Hello?" Came the comforting voice of his mother.  
  
"Hi mom, its Koushiro," he greeted.  
  
"Oh, baby its so good to hear your voice!" She sounded delighted.  
  
"Its good to hear your voice too."  
  
"How have you been? How is everybody? Do you have enough money? Are you finding everything you need? Tai and Matt haven't gotten you into any trouble with the law yet, have they?" His mom bombarded him.  
  
"I'm good, everyone's good. Yeah we have enough money. Gennai's paying for everything, remember? And no, Tai and Matt haven't gotten me in trouble with the law. Not yet at least. I've found everything I needed, sorta." He sucked in his breath. "Mom, can you answer a couple of questions for me?"  
  
"Sure honey. Anything you need."  
  
"Why was my sister and I separated? How did she get to America?"  
  
"Oh, that sort of question," his mother muttered. "Izzy, you were given to us by your father. But your father kept Cassandra and moved to America when you were four."  
  
"Did I know my father or Cassandra before they moved?"  
  
"You knew Cassandra."  
  
"What's my real name? When I was born what was the name I was given?"  
  
"We kept your fist name. You were born Koushiro. Your last name was Mizuhara."  
  
"Did you say Mizuhara?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Oh." They fell into silence.  
  
"What happened Koushiro?" His mother asked.  
  
"I met him, I met my father," he replied.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Mom, I gotta go. Some one needs to use the phone," he lied. "Bye I love you!" He quickly hung up.  
  
"Who needs to use the phone at midnight 'Shiro?" A voice asked.  
  
He looked up and saw Sora in the doorway. "You heard the entire thing?" He asked. She nodded. "That guy, that's what he refused to tell us. He's my real dad." He stood up and walked over to her.  
  
"How do you feel about that?" She asked, her brow creased in worry over him.  
  
"Dunno, but let's get some sleep. We're leaving for Baton Rouge in the morning." He led her back into the bedroom and they lay down together. Her head and hand rested on his chest and her fingers played with the crest he wore around his neck. "Sora."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
What did you call me when you walked into the living room?" He asked.  
  
"Um," she whispered, thinking back. She was half asleep and it took her a moment. "'Shiro, why?"  
  
"I don't know, it just sounded…"  
  
"Weird?"  
  
"No, familiar. But that's weird too." He kissed the top of her ginger hair and her fingers slowed, twisted in his crest. "Goodnight Sora."  
  
"'Night…"  
  
  
I hope you liked this chapter. I'm debating whether I did or not. And to Cherry_Seraphym, no I wasn't talking from experience from last chapter. That would be funny though. 


	4. Baton Rouge, Luisiana

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
The car pulled to a stop and the three stared out the two passenger's side windows. They gaped at the beautiful old plantation house. The home had white pillars, tall windows covered with lavender drapes, and a wide wraparound pouch on both the bottom and top floors. Thick forest spread out behind the house, both left and right, and through the trees to the right water shimmered from a lake.  
  
"Wow," Sora gawked, stunned. "This place is beautiful."  
  
"I guess that two hour drive wasn't for nothing," Matt remarked as he unbuckled his seat belt. "Just outside of Baton Rouge my ass!" He climbed out of the driver's seat as Sora and Izzy exited the back. "Should we wake Tai?"  
  
"Yeah, probably," Izzy nodded. He and Sora walked toward the house as Matt walked to the front passenger's side of the car and banged on the window.   
  
Tai stirred awake and groggily got out of the car, stretching as he did. "We here already?" He joked between yawns. They followed Sora and Izzy up the front steps onto the cobalt painted wood planked porch. A porch swing sat at the far end of the porch.   
  
Izzy rang the doorbell and the French double doors were thrown open by a football player sized man dressed in kaki shorts, a black 'Grateful Dead' tee shirt, and black flip flops. "May I help you?" The silver haired man asked with a deep southern drawl.  
  
It took Izzy a moment to recover from the shock of the size of the man and to process the accent. "Uh…yeah, we're looking for someone who hopefully lives here. Cassandra Mizuhara?"  
  
He looked taken aback by the name. "Cassandra? No, I'm sorry. She hasn't lived here in…years."  
  
Izzy's face fell. "Oh, sorry to bother you."  
  
"Wait, don't go," the man called. "How come you're looking for Cassandra? Did you know her?"  
  
"Not technically," Izzy replied, awkwardly. "She's my sister."  
  
"She's your sister? The famous twin brother," the man let out a hearty laugh. "Oh please, come in. I can't shy you away." He ushered them into the house huge house. He led them into what looked like a library. "Go ahead and have a seat. I want to get my wife, she'll want to meet you." He turned and walked out of the room.  
  
The four sat down on a forest green couch and gazed around the room. One wall was completely lined with books with a fireplace in the middle of it. Another had two paintings on it. The wall behind the couch had family photos on it. The last was a huge window that overlooked the lake.   
  
"This place is really beautiful," Sora commented again. "Just incredible. I don't think I've ever seen a house like this is Odiaba."  
  
The man walked back in, his arm looped with one of a dark red haired woman with a baby in her arms. She looked up at the four. "This young man is Cassandra's brother," her husband introduced as Izzy stood up. "He and his friends came looking for Cassandra."  
  
The woman stared at Izzy, her blue eyes searching his face. She adjusted the sleeping baby in her arms and held out her hand. "Its nice to meet you," she greeted with the same drawl as her husband. "My name is Diane Woods and this is my husband Kale."  
  
Izzy shook her hand. "Its nice to meet you too. My name is Koushiro Izumi and these are my friends." Sora, Matt, and Tai stood up.   
  
Matt held out his hand. "Yamato Ishida," he smiled.  
  
"Taichi Yagami," Tai smiled.  
  
"Sora Takenouchi," Sora greeted.  
  
"Sit down," Kale motioned, his voice jolly. "No need to act stiff around us." Izzy looked at his friends, shrugging and sat down. Diane walked over to a basinet in the corner of the room and laid the baby down. She took a seat beside her husband on a forest green love seat, smoothing her long yellow dress as she did.  
  
"So what brings you way out here? Cassie hasn't live here in more then…" She looked at her husband for held. "Five, maybe six years." He nodded in agreement.  
  
"Looks like were just a little late," Tai joked.  
  
"Well, I just found out that I have a twin. So we came out here trying to find her," Izzy explained.  
  
"Where are you from?" Kale asked with his elbows resting his knees. "We received Cassandra from D.C. Is that where you're from?"  
  
"No. My friends and I are from Japan. That's where Cassandra and I were originally born, in Tokyo. I'm not sure why but she and my father came over from the states and a friend of the family took me in."  
  
"Ah, the father," Kale mumbled with abhorrence in his voice.  
  
"How long will you be staying in Louisiana?" Diane asked.  
  
"We're not sure," Izzy shook his head.  
  
"Well, since Cassandra doesn't live here anymore, we were hoping to get an address where she might be," Sora added.  
  
"An address?" Diane mused. "She's been in and out of a lot of foster homes since us. I'm not sure where she would be right now unfortunately."  
  
"Our daughter would," Kale offered. "Makayla was eight when your sister left. They exchanged letters for a long time after that."  
  
"But unfortunately she's at a friend's house until the day after next," Diane grimaced. "She's spending the weekend."  
  
"Oh, well we can come back. We're in no rush," Izzy replied. "That gives us a chance to hang out in the city."  
  
"Where are you staying?" Kale asked.  
  
"In town," Matt answered. "A hotel called the Crown of New Orleans."  
  
"That's a very expensive place."  
  
Matt cracked a grin. "I have some connections with the manager. He gave us our rooms at half price."  
  
"Still, that's almost three hundred a night. I'd hate to have to you spend so much." The four shared knowing grins. Gennai was the one dealing with the bill, not them. "Why don't the four of you stay here? It'll save you a tone of money."  
  
"Oh, we don't want to impose," Sora spoke up politely.  
  
"Its nothing," he stopped her with a fatherly grin on his face. "We have plenty of room and we'd love to have you."  
  
"Kale, hun, I doubt they would want to stay way out here in the middle of no where when they have a room in the city." She looked at Izzy. "But if you do want to stay, that's fine. We used to run a bed and breakfast so we're used to guests."  
  
"What do you think?" Izzy asked, looking at his friends.   
  
"Let's do it," Matt smiled. "The manager wasn't exactly happy that I had called in the favor I did."  
  
"Why don't we stay in the city tonight since our stuff is at the hotel," Tai suggested. "Then we'll come back the day after tomorrow and stay here for a night or so since you were kind enough to offer. I would really love to look around this forest. Reminds me a little of home." Izzy smiled, he meant the Digital World.  
  
"That would be great," Diane accepted.  
  
"Great, we'll come back the day after tomorrow," Matt smiled and stood up. "But we should probably get going if we want to beat evening traffic."  
  
"Yeah, right," Izzy nodded in agreement. "It was nice meeting you."  
  
Diane led them to the door. "Have a nice drive!" She called from the porch as Izzy and company walked towards the car.   
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"Well, I had fun yesterday," Sora announced from her seat in the back. She had her head leaning against the car window, watching the scenery fly by. Matt and Izzy had been talking about the city they were staying in. "Despite the fact that Matt and Tai ditched us."  
  
"We couldn't help it," Tai objected from his seat beside her.  
  
"Yeah, Tai saw something shiny and we lost you in the crowd," Matt laughed,  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"That's fine," Izzy shrugged, arm resting on the open window as he drove. "We had fun without you. We found a nice restaurant and made out."  
  
"Gross!" Tai cringed. "My virgin ears! I'm scarred for life."  
  
"Actually we went shopping and visited a voodoo museum."  
  
"Trust Izzy to drag you into a museum on a vacation," Matt rolled his eyes.  
  
"Sora dragged me," Izzy protested.  
  
"Great, you turned her into a nerd!"  
  
"Hey!" Sora snapped.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Tai yelled out.  
  
Izzy's hands tighten on the wheel. "Ask me that again Tai and I'll turn this car around and go straight home!" He looked back at Tai. "Does it look like were there yet?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Huh?" Izzy looked up at the road in time to see the house whiz by. He slammed on the brakes, causing Tai and Sora to slam into the back of the front seats. Izzy backed the car up and parked in front of the house.  
  
"Maybe from now on you should ignore Tai and just pay attention to the road," Matt suggested as he clambered out of the car.  
  
"That might be a good idea," Tai agreed.  
  
They unloaded their luggage and made their way up to the porch. Izzy rang the doorbell. The doors were pulled open by Kale, dressed in kaki pants and a maroon shirt. "Hello!" He greeted. "Welcome back!" He ushered them in. "Diane!" He called. "My wife will show you your rooms. I was just about to leave. Bye!" And he walked out the door.  
  
"Uh, bye?" Tai replied after the door closed.   
  
The sound of footsteps echoed into the room and Diane entered the foyer. "Sorry about my husbands abrupt departure. He's going to pick up our daughter. Follow me and I'll show you to your rooms." She showed them up the stairs and pointed to four doors in a row. "Here you are. Go ahead and get settled. I'll be down stairs working on dinner, once your done."  
  
"Thanks," Izzy smiled. "Well, come on guys."  
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They sat in the library, chatting and sipping in lemonade. Dian asked them about Japan and they in turned asked her about Louisiana. The sound of the door opened and footsteps drifted into the room. "Kale, hun, we're in here."  
  
Kale entered followed by a light brown haired girl. She walked over to Diane, ignoring the four. "Hey mom," she greeted causally, hugging the older woman.  
  
"Welcome back. Did you have fun?" The girl gave an eager nod. "Here, these are some folks I want you to meet." She gestured to the four on the couch. "This is Sora, Koushiro, Yamato, and Taichi. This is our daughter, Makayla."  
  
"You can just call me Matt."  
  
"And just Tai-"  
  
"Oh my god, your Matt Ishida! Oh my god, Matt Ishida is in my house!" The brown haired girl screamed.  
  
"Do you know him?" Diane asked, startled by her daughter's reaction.  
  
"Know him?! He's only THE biggest hunk in the entire world!" She had the classic 'duh' valley girl voice. Sora, Izzy and Tai smirked as Matt turned a bright red.   
  
"Is that so?" Kale inquired. "I don't know. He doesn't look that hunky to me."  
  
"DAD!"  
  
Kale slapped Matt on the back. "He knows I'm just kidding." Matt gave a nervous laugh and nodded. "So you're that singer she's constantly talking about. Well, I'm a little old fashion-"  
  
"Just a little?" the girl muttered, crossing her arms.  
  
"But I dislike your music."  
  
"DAD!"  
  
'"Your no Grateful Dead or Zeppelin."  
  
"Who sir?" Matt asked.  
  
His mouth dropped open. "Kids these days."  
  
"So anyway, if you're done Kale," Diane interrupted, teasingly to her husband. "This young man, Koushiro, is Cassandra brother."  
  
She looked at Izzy with a puzzled expression on her face. "Cassandra?"  
  
"Do you remember her? She lived here when-"  
  
"Yeah, I remember her. How has she been? She stopped writing to me."  
  
"Well actually," Izzy frowned. "I've never met her. I'm trying to fine her, but so far I've had no luck. We were hoping you could give us an address of where she might be living now?" His voice was hopeful, but pleading at the same time.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah I can get you one, I'll have to go find it though. Last time she wrote to me she was living in Nashville."  
  
"Tennessee?" Sora asked.   
  
She nodded. "I'll go look for it." She turned and walked out of the room.  
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"We leave day after tomorrow," Izzy announced, looking up from his laptop.  
  
Sora sat down on the bed. "We don't even have an address yet. Are you in that big of a hurry?"  
  
"We're getting close to the third week of the first month. We only have five more weeks. Besides, I'm sure we'll get it by then."  
  
She sat up on her elbows and pulled his face to hers. "You worry too much," she said before kissing him. She pulled away. "So let's have fun."  
  
"What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Swimming, with Matt and Tai. They're out in the lake right now. I told them I'd come down as soon as I got you."  
  
"I don't want to go swimming."  
  
She placed a pair of red swimming trunks in his lap. "Aw please." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him once more. Abruptly she pulled away, holding his crest triumphantly in her hand. "I'm kidnapping your crest. If you ever want to see it again, you'll come swimming." She jumped off the bed and walked out of the room.  
  
He quickly dressed and walked down the stairs. Into the kitchen he passes through the back door and walked out onto the porch. To his left and right was thick green forest. Right before the porch was a garden of flowers and vegetables. Behind that was a waist high stonewall that surrounded the shimmering lake. Matt and Tai splashed around in the waist high water while Sora watched them from the sandy bank with her back to him.  
  
He jumped the wall and tiptoed up to her. He swept her off her feet and she let out a surprised yell. "I caught you," he said cockily.  
  
"Put me down!" She yelled.  
  
"Alright." He took a step towards the water.  
  
"Izzy don't!" He took another step, his foot completely submerged in the water. He gasped at how cold it was. "Izzy, don't do it! Its not even funny!" She yelled. He laughed.   
  
Now they were at waist high. He stood beside Matt and Tai and held Sora above the water. "Bye," he smiled and let her drop with a splash.  
  
"You are so going to die," Tai said, shaking his head.  
  
"It was nice knowing you," Matt added.  
  
A huge splash of water knocked him backwards. "That's what you get Koushiro Izumi!" Sora yelled, shivering.  
  
"Water war!" Tai yelled.  
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Izzy glanced up from his seat on the lakeside. Matt and Tai were still swim while Sora floated on her own in the water. His gaze shifted to the porch. Diane sat on the porch swing watching them.  
  
He pushed himself up and brushed the sand off of his legs and shorts as he walked back to the porch. He bounded up the stairs and smiled slightly at the woman on the swing. "You looked kind of lonely. I thought I'd keep you company."  
  
She smiled at him. "That was very considerate of you, Koushiro, thank you."  
  
"You can call me Izzy, everyone else does," he shrugged.  
  
"Alright." Silence spread between them. Izzy took a seat on the railing. "May I ask what you're thinking about?"  
  
"Yeah," he shrugged again. "Just thinking about finding my sister and if this was a waste of time. What if I don't find her and I've just wasted my friends vacation?"  
  
"By the way you and your friends are together, I don't think your wasting anything," she replied, looking at his friends. "Besides you can't think like that. You won't find her if you do. You have to have faith."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Izzy shrugged. "What was Cassandra like?"  
  
"She was a very sweet little girl. She was eleven when she came here and this was her first foster home. Her dad had just given her up and she wasn't very keen on living with another family. She was very strong, especially emotionally, and she was very stubborn. For the first week and a half she refused to come out of her room. We had to leave dinner and lunch outside her door." She laughed at the memory. "She hated us and she hated leaving here with a passion. It wasn't until she forgot to lock the door did anyone have any contact with her. Kayla had wandered into her room. My husband and I were frantic looking for her for two hours. Kayla wasn't a baby, but five year olds can do a lot of damage. So later we found her in Cassandra's room with half of her toys spread out over the floor. And they were both playing."   
  
"Did you know why her dad gave her up?" Izzy asked.  
  
"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "She never talked about it and the information wasn't available in her file." She looked at him with a small smile on her face. "She talked about you."  
  
"About me?"  
  
"Uh-huh. She used to say when she grew up she was going to go back home and find you. We never knew "home" was Japan and for the longest time we didn't realize what she was talking about."  
  
"So she knew about me," Izzy commented to himself. Kayla walked out of the house, dressed in a swim suit and walked down to the lake. "How old is Kayla?"  
  
"Fourteen."  
  
"Is she a foster kid too?"  
  
"No, she adopted. We adopted her when she was three," Diane looked thoughtfully at her daughter and rested her head in her hand. "We came very close to adopting your sister too."  
  
"Oh yeah," Izzy replied. "What stopped you?"  
  
"Her father." She adjusted herself on the swing as she muttered the name. "Despite the fact that your father had shed all ties to Cassandra, he didn't want her adopted, so he had the state move her." She shook her head sadly before standing up and setting a hand on his shoulder. "Have faith, Koushiro. You'll find her, don't worry." She turned and walked inside the house.  
  
  
I will make no comments because I am incredibly pissed off at a review some ass hole (sorry) gave me. Listen people, if an author writes about a couple you don't like that doesn't give you any god damned (sorry) right to cuss them out. So either unstuck your head from your ass (sorry) or let it go!   
  
  
Please review. 


	5. Nashvile-> Reno-> San Fransisco

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
"This cannot be the place," Tai gaped, disgusted. "You've got to be kidding me!"  
  
Matt read over the scrap of paper with the address scribbled on it. "This is the place," he confirmed as he looked up at the front sign.  
  
The four set foot on the gravel parking lot and entered the park. The neon sign above them read, 'Happy Oaks Trailer Park'. "Does anyone get the feeling this it the type of place where you marry your cousin?" Tai asked.  
  
"Tai, that's gross!" Sora snapped. "But oddly true."  
  
"So, what's the trailer number, Iz?" Matt asked, stuffing his hands in his pocket. He glanced around at the broken down trailers in distaste. "How anyone could live here," he muttered as he stepped over a puddle of greenish brown water. "Is beyond me."  
  
"Thirty two," Izzy replied reading off from the paper he took from Matt.  
  
"Well, there twenty eight," Sora said pointing to a chipping white painted beat up looking trailer.  
  
"Four away," Matt replied.  
  
"There," Tai interrupted, pointing at another chipping white painted beat up looking trailer. The gravel crunched under their feet as they walked toward the trailer. They stood at the foot of the steps. "Go ahead, Izzy."  
  
Izzy bounded up the short steps. He opened the cheap, nearly falling off screen door and knocked on the front door. He stepped back and waited.  
  
No answer.  
  
He looked at his friends, who just shrugged. Matt motioned to knock again. He did.  
  
"Hey!" A crotchety old voice yelled at them. They all jumped at the sound and looked up to see an old woman standing in the stairs of her trailer. "What are you kids doing there?"  
  
"Uh." Izzy searched for his voice as the gray haired woman stared at him. "We're uh looking for someone who lives here-"  
  
"No one lives there!" The woman interrupted. "They moved out a couple weeks ago."  
  
"Damn it!" Izzy cried.  
  
"Do you know where?" Sora asked.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Samson went to…uh…hell if I know," she laughed a wicked laugh.  
  
"Did they have a girl?" Matt asked.  
  
"A girl?"  
  
"Yeah, a seventeen year old girl," Izzy explained. "Her name is Cassandra. She's got red hair and-"  
  
"Cassandra?" She shrieked. "She's gone. Been gone. Almost about three years now."  
  
"Damn it!" Izzy barked again, softer this time. He looked up at the woman again. "Do you know how I could find her?"  
  
"No, but she had a teacher in town who could probably tell you. Follow me, I'll get you the address," she turned and walked into her trailer. Izzy shrugged to his friends and walked into the woman's apartment.  
  
He held his breath as he walked in. The room smelled like rotten, steamed broccoli. It was only dimly lighted and decorated with knick-knacks and other useless junk. The woman, dressed in a flower nightgown and purple slippers, flipped through a bulky phone book in her lap. She scrawled out an address on a scrape of paper and handed it to him.  
  
"Here you go." She took his hand in her shaky one. "What are you, related to her? You look like her."  
  
"Yeah. She's my sister."  
  
"Well," she grinned with yellowed flat teeth. "You tell her that Mrs. Nash says hi." She laughed.  
  
"I-I will," he replied slightly freaked.   
  
"Good boy." She ushered him out the door. "Goodbye."  
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"Hey, do you think we'll see any famous country singers while we're here?" Tai asked as he stepped out of the car and up to the storefront.  
  
"I hope not," Matt muttered under his breath.  
  
Izzy looked up and laughed. "Just because they have twice the talent you do is no reason to be jealous!"  
  
"Shut up Izumi!" Matt snapped. "Don't make me kick your-"  
  
Sora stepped between them. "Boys, boys. Let's just calm down and go inside."  
  
Matt looked up and saw 'The Music Box' written in bold purple letters on the beige building. He followed the others inside. By the door sat a white sign that read, 'Lessons, Rentals, and Show.' They continued inside to a large room with shelves of instruments, dusty and old looking. By the front window sat a low stage with a set of drums in the center. A chime went off as they stepped into the room.  
  
"Sorry, we're closed right now," a low male voice called from behind a blanket covered door way.  
  
"We're sorry to bother you, but we were hoping to find out some information about a former student. Cassandra Izumi," Izzy called to the voice.  
  
There was a pause. "Cassandra? Just a second." A second later a man stepped out from behind the blanket. He was dressed in black jeans and a black muscle tee shirt with a white button up shirt over it. His blue hair was cut in spikes and a brown triangle of a goatee sat on his chin. He looked at Izzy with a lopsided grin on his face. "And you must be here brother." He walked up to him and stuck out his hand. "Dave Sparlen."  
  
"Izzy Izumi. And this is my girlfriend, Sora. And my friends Matt and Tai." They each shook hands with Dave. "And your right, Mr. Sparlen. I'm her brother."  
  
"Its Dave," he corrected. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"We're looking for my sister. We were told you could give us an address."  
  
"Reno," he responded quickly. "Reno, Nevada. She's been there. I'll get the address." He walked to the back.  
  
"So Dave, what kind of music do you teach?" Matt called.  
  
"Just about anything," he called. "Guitar, drums, violin. Why? You interested?"  
  
"No, I know how to play drums and guitar. And bass too." Matt hopped up on the stage and sat down at the drums. He began to play a loud beat.  
  
Dave walked out from the back room and snapping his fingers. "Nice." He pressed a manila folder into Izzy's hands and jumped up on stage with Matt. He began to play an electric guitar that was laid on the stage.  
  
Sora read over Izzy's shoulder. "She sang," Sora commented.  
  
"Yeah, she was a magnificent singer," Dave called from the stage. "She came to me for voice lessons, not that she needed them. She said she wanted to be a singer."  
  
"My type of girl," Matt yelled over the drums.   
  
"Go ahead and take the paper with the address. I've got it on some letters."  
  
"You've corresponded with her?" Izzy asked.  
  
"Yeah. She was my best student so I had her keep in touch when she moved. But it's been about a year since her last letter."  
  
"A year?" Tai asked as he played with a guitar that sat on display "Haven't you given up on her?"  
  
Dave stopped playing and a thin line of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Don't touch that." Tai quickly set the guitar down. "No I haven't given up on her. Her letters are erratic. Listen I really gotta close up."  
  
"Thank you, Dave," Izzy replied. "We'll leave." They walked to the door and waved goodbye.  
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(Now in Reno…)  
  
Izzy walked up the sidewalk to the small house with his friends following behind him. The neighbor hood was remote and modest. Down the street some kids played baseball and a bunch of guys played basketball in a driveway.   
  
The house that Dave had given the address for looked nice enough. It was a white painted one-story house with big windows on the front. Blue shutters lay open at the window sides.   
  
He knocked on the front door and waited. A gray/brown haired woman in a pair of clam digger pants and a white shirt opened it. She greeted them with a bright red-lipped smile. "How can I help you?"  
  
"We're looking for Cassandra Mizuhara. Does she live here?" Izzy asked.  
  
The woman got a look of distress on her face as footsteps echoed behind her. An unshaven man, looking to be in his late forties pushed in front of the woman. "Hell no! That ungrateful little whore moved out almost a year ago. What are you? Her friends? Get it through your head; she's not coming back! Get off my property!" He turned and slammed the door.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Izzy asked as he looked at his friends.  
  
"I don't know, but maybe we should do as he says and get off his property. He didn't sound happy." Sora tugged at his hand as she spoke. Izzy nodded. They were half way back to their car when the door opened again.  
  
"Wait!" The woman appeared again. "Sorry about my husband," she apologized. "He never liked Cassandra. They were both too hard headed to get along. Cassandra ran away about a year ago, right after she turned sixteen. If you want to find out where she is go three houses down to ninety two fifteen. Her best friend Riana lives there. She'll tell you were Cassandra lives."  
  
"Thanks," Izzy nodded. The woman nodded and disappeared back into her house.  
  
"Oooo, your sister's a run away," Matt taunted. "A juvenile delinquent."  
  
"And a whore, apparently," Tai added.  
  
"Okay, no ones a juvenile delinquent," Izzy protested. "Being a run away does not make you one!"  
  
"Yeah Matt, look how many times you ran away after your folks got divorced," Tai replied. "But wait…you are a juvenile delinquent."  
  
"Shut up Tai!" Matt snapped.  
  
"Both of you shut up!" Izzy snapped as he turned and walked up to the house with ninety two fifteen written on the door. A dark skinned girl opened it.   
  
Her eyes widened and she threw her arms around Izzy. "Cass! Your back, oh my god! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back." Behind him Tai and Matt snickered. She stepped back and looked at his friends. "Who are the hotties? And what in the hell did you do to your hair?"  
  
"I'm not Cassandra," Izzy told her, feeling bad for the mix up. "I'm her brother."  
  
The girl stepped back again. "Oh, dude, sorry. Wow, you really do look like each other. Cass always said so, but I thought she was BS'in' me." She laughed and held out her hand. "I'm Riana."  
  
Izzy shook her hand. "I'm Izzy. These are my friends, Matt and Tai."  
  
"The hotties," Matt grinned.  
  
"And my girlfriend Sora."   
  
She waved to Sora. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Well, I'm trying to find my sister, but her address where she's living right now. The people at her house down the street said you might be able to give it to us. Can you?"  
  
"Yeah, hold on." She turned and walked back into the house. She came back with a slip of paper in her coco colored hand. "Here. This is the address to where she works. She just moved so I haven't gotten her new address. It's a night club."  
  
"Thanks," Izzy thanked her.  
  
Sora looked over his shoulder. "SF, what's that?"  
  
"San Fransisco. She's living there."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
"Good luck. It was nice meeting you."   
  
"Thanks." With that she closed the door.  
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(San Fransisco, California…)  
  
The music pounded and rocked in their ears. The singer up on stage dressed in tight blue jeans and a red halter-top shook the room and had every couple, straight and not, on the floor dancing. Atmosphere was foggy from fog machines by the stage floor and strobe lights blinked along with the beat of the music. The black lights made shirts and faces glow all around.  
  
"Damn, this place rocks!" Matt screamed over the music.  
  
"What?" Sora, Tai and Izzy screamed back at him. He just laughed and shook his head.  
  
Izzy leaned over to Sora. "Do you see anyone who looks like me?" He shouted to her.  
  
"Nope, can't say I have," she replied, shaking her head.  
  
"How can she work here?" Tai yelled. "She's not twenty one. She's not even eighteen."  
  
"Maybe she lied," Matt yelled. "Like us."  
  
"Shut up Matt!" Tai yelled.  
  
"Guys, its almost twelve thirty. Maybe she's not working tonight," Sora suggested.  
  
"I dunno, maybe you should ask the bartender," Tai offered.  
  
"Yeah, I'll do that," Izzy nodded.  
  
"Hey everyone, its getting late," the singer on stage announced through the microphone. "I gotta shove off, they're kicking me off stage. Let's give a round of applause for the band. They have to stay the rest of the night." The statement got a roar from the crowd. "I'll be back Monday, come back then! Take care, be safe and tip your waitresses." The crowd laughed as she jumped off the stage.  
  
Izzy pulled his attention from the singer, who Matt and Tai were both eyeing and stood up. He motioned to the bartender when Sora gave him a questioning look. He waded through the crowd; cringe when a couple of people grabbed his ass. He couldn't be completely sure if they were female or not. Finally he reached the bar.  
  
A tall, blond man wearing a long sleeve blue shirt and black pants stood behind the bar, serving drinks to a pair of girls. He was flirting with them. Izzy walked up once the girls left and the bartender was free. "How can I help you?" He yelled.  
  
"I'm looking for-" The bartender gave a look that he couldn't hear him. "I'm looking for-"  
  
The singer ran up and jumped up on an open barstool beside Izzy. "I'm leaving Mac!" She announced. Izzy gave her a look of annoyance and she looked back at him with a smile.  
  
"All right, Seeya," the guy replied.  
  
"No, no, no! You owe me money! Where's my pay check?" She asked.  
  
"Pay? What pay? I don't know what you're talking about," the blond man joked.  
  
"Mac!" She whined. "You know that none of these people would be here if not for me." She grinned and held out her hand. "Money! I gotta get home." He placed a wad of bills in her hand. "Thank you." She leaned over the bar and kissed him on the cheek before turning to leave.  
  
"Do you want a ride? Eric can give you one." She shook her head. "Okay, night C."  
  
Izzy looked at the bartender and then at the singer. "Cassandra?" He called. The girl froze in mind step. "Cassandra Mizuhara?"  
  
She whipped around and glared at him. "Listen, I don't know who the hell…" she trailed off when she locked eyes with him. She shook her head. "Who the hell you are, but don't ever call me that name again!"  
  
Mac leaned over the bar. "Is there a problem here?"  
  
She waved him off. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Are you Cassandra Mizuhara?" Izzy asked.  
  
"Yeah." She grabbed the front of his shirt. "But call me that and I'll kick your ass!" She stared into his black eyes. "Who are you?"  
  
"I'm your brother!" He replied, ignoring her grip on his shirt.  
  
She gritted her teeth. "I don't have a brother, you're screwed up!" She pulled away. "I'm going home."  
  
He followed her. "You can't lie about it! You know its true!" He yelled at her as he followed her into a back room of the club. Mac trailed after them. Izzy looked over at him then at the girl, going through a locker with Kass written on it. "I didn't come to start a fight with you. I-"  
  
She paused and stared at the floor. "Koushiro, how'd you find me?" He opened his mouth then snapped it closed again. She still didn't look at him. "Yeah, I know who you are."  
  
"Why pretend you don't then?" He asked.  
  
"I dunno. What are you doing here?" Her voice was soft.  
  
"I came to find you. I wanted to meet you." He stared at her, but she still refused to look at him. "What am I supposed to call you if not-"  
  
"Don't say it. I don't go by Mizuhara or Cassandra anymore." She looked up at him and pulled her purse onto her shoulder. "Kacey Akitora."  
  
"Koushiro Izumi," he said. "Its nice to meet you."  
  
"We've met." She smiled softly. "I guess you don't remember." She glanced at her watch. "I have to go. I'm sorry you came all this way from where ever, but it was nice seeing you." She tried to rush past him and he grabbed her arm. Mac in turned grabbed the front of his shirt. "Mac, its okay." The man didn't move. "He's my brother."  
  
"You got a brother?" Mac asked stunned.  
  
"Yeah, I got a brother." Mac let go of Izzy's shirt and he let go of her arm.  
  
"Please don't go. Can't we talk or something? I came here from Japan to find you," Izzy pleaded.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Tomorrow," she replied. "I really have to get home right now." She pulled a pen from her purse and grabbed his hand. She scribbled an address on his palm. "That's my apartment. Come by tomorrow, we'll talk then."  
  
"I'll be there around noon," he replied.  
  
"Fine. I'll seeya." She glanced up at Mac. "Where's Eric? I think I may take him up on that ride."  
  
"He's manning the bar." She walked out. "Night C." Izzy watched her go. Mac glared at him before giving him a hard shove and walking back into the club.  
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She pushed into the apartment and stumbled in the dark. She dumped her keys carelessly on the end table by the couch and waded through the dark. She tripped only once on a miniature dump truck. With an aggravated sigh she continued down a dark hallway. Two thirds down the hall she came to a white door with a picture of a train on it. She opened the door and her eyes froze on the empty bed with its messed up sheets. Her breath caught in her throat and she ran to the door at the very end of the hallway. She pushed inside.  
  
"Your home late," a voice said in the darkness. "I have Connor, if that's what your wondering." She let go of her breath and waited for her heart to return to its normal speed.   
  
"I know I'm late, I'm sorry. I ran into…some trouble at work." She lay down on her bed, overjoyed to rest her exhausted body. A smaller body roll over onto her and she stroked the soft hair on the body's head. "When did Connor come in?"  
  
"An hour ago, he was freaked out about something." A hand touched her shoulders.  
  
"Sorry," she mumbled. 'So was I…'  
  
  
  
  
Okay, sorry if the end was not to your liking. I have no idea why the original upload cut off. Sorry Lemme know what you think. Oh, I need some advice. I've been having people tell me to avoid making this a Mary-Sue fic. I only found out what that was about a week ago, so I don't really know if I'm writing one or not. Tell me how I can avoid it. And please review.  
  
Oh, and to Ralph Wiggim, thank you for review Run away. I never thought that it was tackling the topic of abortion, but I guess it was. And no, I don't think abortion is morally wrong. I'm pro choice. I just wanted to say that because I wouldn't want someone to think otherwise of me. Anyway, thank you again. 


	6. Digi Scum

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
"Are you three almost ready?" Izzy called out as he pulled a blue shirt over his head. He walked out of his room and into the living room of their hotel room. Tai was stretched out on the couch with the TV remote in his hand wearing a white hotel robe. Sora sat beside him with his legs laid on top of hers. Matt sat on the recliner wearing only boxers. "Guys! We gotta go!"  
  
Tai hung his head over the arm of the couch, looking at Izzy upside down. "No, you gotta go. This is where we call mutiny, oh fearless leader."  
  
"What?" Izzy snapped.  
  
"Yeah, she's your sister," Matt added. "We just came along for the free ride." Sora threw one of the couch pillows at him. "Oh and the moral support."  
  
Sora gave him a reassuring smile. "What these two mean to say is that Cassandra…er what did you say her name was?"  
  
"Kacey."  
  
"Kacey is your sister and you should be meeting with her and talking to her alone without interference from us," she explained.  
  
"So we're ditching you so we can go have fun," Tai summed. "Me and Matt can pick up girls and we're going to find Sora a real boyfriend."  
  
"Hardy har har!" Izzy laughed, irritated. "Don't the me and Sora jokes get old?"  
  
"Well, they would," Matt grinned. "If you'd just stop being a nerd."  
  
Izzy rolled his eyes and held up his hands in defeat. "I'm leaving! I give up trying to defend myself." He kissed his girlfriend before walking out the door, slamming it behind himself.  
  
He made his way down the street, opting to walk since it was three to one. Hopefully he could find his way through the city without much trouble.  
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An hour later Izzy dragged his aching feet up the stairs of a high-rise apartment building. He was half an hour late and had spent the last forty minutes trying to find the damn apartment building. He walked out of the stair well and scanned the doors that lined the hallway. 52…53…54…55…59…wait, that was supposed to be a six. He came to a halt in front of the door with the upside down six. He ran a hand through his hair before rapping lightly on the burgundy colored door. The door opened to reveal a tall, smooth tanned skinned man. The man stared at him. "Can I help you?"  
  
Izzy froze. "I think I have the wrong place." He stepped back.  
  
"Victor, who's at the door?" A melodic voice called from inside the apartment. Izzy turned to leave. "Koushiro?" He turned back to see Cassandra standing in the hallway, balancing a small boy on her hip with one arm around him. "Where you going?"  
  
"Oh, I thought-uh…nowhere," he recovered. He walked back to here.  
  
The young man in the door way stared at the pair, his eyes jumping back and forth between them. The little boy in her arms, looking to be about three, laughed and played with Cassandra's hair. "He looks like you."  
  
She smiled and kissed the boy's forehead. "Yes he does. He's my brother."  
  
The young man in the doorway grimaced. "Your brother? But-"  
  
She pushed the boy into his arms. "I thought you two were going out?"  
  
"Kacey," he growled.  
  
"Go!" With a reluctant sigh the man hoisted the boy over his head to perch him on his shoulders. He kissed her and walked to the exit. The boy waved back at them. She looked back at Izzy. "Come on inside." He nodded and walked into the apartment with Cassandra behind him.  
  
The apartment seemed pretty modest. Clean white walls with framed photos, a midnight blue couch with a teddy bear face down on one end, and grayish carpet was scattered with toys. She picked up some of the toys then looked up at him. "Go ahead and have a seat." She gestured to the couch. "Would you like anything to drink, soda or water?"  
  
"No, I'm good," he replied as he stiffly to a seat on the couch.  
  
"Okay. I'll be back." She carried the toys out of the room. When she returned she was pushing her hair into a bun. She sat down on the opposite end of the couch from him. His eyes wandered around the room, trying to avoid eye contact with her as an incredibly uncomfortable silence settled over the two. She poked him in the arm. "Koushiro, I'm sure you didn't come to scope up my apartment."  
  
"Call me Izzy," he announced.  
  
She scrunched her nose. "Izzy?"  
  
"That's what my friends call me. It comes from my last name Izumi," he explained.  
  
"Oh, okay, Izzy then. Its an interesting nickname."  
  
Silence fell again.  
  
"So, uh, who was that guy who answered the door?" He asked.  
  
"That's my boyfriend, Victor."  
  
"You live together?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"And the little boy? Were you babysitting?"  
  
A small smile crossed her face and she stared down at her hands. "No. That was Connor…my son."  
  
"Your son?" He repeated in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah. So he'd be your nephew."  
  
"Oh…wow. Is he from Victor?"  
  
"No," she replied shortly. "Listen, I'm not exactly comfortable with this line of questioning. Do you think we could talk about something different?"  
  
Oh…yeah sure," he replied ruefully. "Sorry."  
  
She sighed when he didn't continue. "So how'd you find me?"  
  
He dug through his pocket to produce a crumpled sheet of paper. "I was given this invoice for an apartment building in New York. We got the address there and slowly worked our way here."  
  
"We?"  
  
"My friends and my girlfriend accompanied me here to America."  
  
"Oh, sweet. So after New York where'd you go?"  
  
"DC."  
  
"DC?" She frowned. "You met dad?" He nodded. "What did he say?"  
  
"Well, first he tried to convince us he didn't know who you were. Then, after my friend near threatened him, he gave us an address to a house in Louisiana. At the time I didn't know who he was, but he seemed…"  
  
"Familiar?" She suggested.  
  
"No, odd," he laughed. "I went back a second time to talk to him. I got the impression he didn't want me there."  
  
She looked unnerved. "He didn't."  
  
"Well, that makes me feel better. He didn't answer any of my questions. He told me to go talk to my parents. When I did, that's when I found out who he was."  
  
"So he didn't pull out a gun or anything?"  
  
He started to laugh, but stopped when she stayed somber. "A-a gun? No, he didn't."  
  
She let out a sigh of relief. "Good…good." She laughed. "Well, uh let's get to know each other."  
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A charcoal colored eyed man stared at the bluish screen as his long fingers flew over the keys at a million miles per second. (I enjoy exaggeration!) He focused on the line after line of encoded data that spread over the screen.  
  
"Yushiro!"  
  
The sudden interruption of concentration caused the next two lines to be nothing more then letters accidentally hit randomly. He looked up from the tiny square screen and cast his eyes to a light haired man with neon green eyes.  
  
"Sorry, Yushiro, didn't mean to break concentration," the man laughed in his gray pinstriped suit. "But you just looked so serious. I had to wake you up!"  
  
"Thanks Brian," he growled back as he swiveled in his chair to face his screen again. An email alert came up over his work.  
  
"Well, actually I was just wondering if you were ever going to take your vacation time. Maybe I could use it if not. See I'm going…"  
  
The phone rang and Yushiro raised his hand, signaling his coworker to stop speaking. He picked up the phone. "Hello, Yushiro Mizuhara speaking."  
  
"Mr. Mizuhara?" A voice asked. "Its Victor Gutierrez."  
  
"Victor," he lowered his voice. "You know the rules. What do you think your doing calling me?! If this is about money-"  
  
"No, no sir, its not!" The man on the other end stuttered out quickly. "I do know the rules and I'm following them. The guy, Kacey's brother, he showed up at our apartment this morning."  
  
Rage poured through his veins, making his blood boil and his face get red. "That little- he actually made it?" He was speaking more to himself. "Then tell him to leave!"  
  
"I would, but I don't think Kacey's going to let him leave without a fight."  
  
"Be a man, dammit!" He slammed his fist on his desk. "You get that digimon loving freak out of her life or I will be down there to deal with it myself. Call me when he's gone. If you don't call in three days I am going to come down there. YOU TELL HER THAT!" He slammed the phone down.  
  
"Yushiro, are you okay?" Brian called.  
  
"Get out of here, Brian. I am not in the mood!"  
  
"Sorry," he snapped before walking off.  
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Bathed in sunlight, the man placed his head in his hands. He didn't enjoy what he just did, but it was for the safety of his family. He couldn't have DigiDestined hanging around, the scum. And if Mizuhara found out…  
  
This is all for the better.  
  
  
Sorry, I got lazy...its short. Please review. 


	7. Regret And Rage

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
"You don't remember anything?" She questioned as Connor tugged at her shirt. The younger boy apparently wanted up on the stage with the red headed pair.  
  
The twins had met back at the club where they had originally met. Kacey was scheduled to have practice with the band that played there.   
  
Izzy reached down and picked up the golden haired youth, his nephew. "Nope," he shrugged. The younger boy situated himself in Izzy's spacious lap and began to play with his ears. "Hell, I don't even remember having a sister."  
  
"Hew," Connor giggled under his breath.  
  
Izzy laughed while Kacey gave him a sour scowl. "I don't need you teaching my son to kiss. These guys do a fine job of that." She pointed off to her band mates sitting around a high bar table, taking tequila shots. "That's right," she yelled to them. "Get smashed before a set!"   
  
The guys laughed. "Join us, C!"  
  
She shook her head, but a giggle sprung up from her throat. "Idiots. Funny, I work in a bar and I can't hold my liquor." She looked up at him with jolly ebony eyes. "Go on, I didn't mean to get off track."  
  
"Its alright," he replied, watching her with interest.  
  
She stared at him. "Go on," she prompted.  
  
"Oh. Uh, well I didn't know I had a sister. After you left I guess I forgot and my parents never bothered to remind me. I found out I was adopted when I was nine. I held it against my folks for a while, but I forgave them and then kinda forgot again. I always knew, but I didn't want to do anything about it." The little boy in his lap made a face at him, eliciting a laugh from him.  
  
"How come you didn't want to do anything about it?" She asked as she offered a bluish juice box to Connor.  
  
"Well, I guess I felt guilty," he admitted as he scratched the back of his head. "My parents were really good to me and then the minute I found out I wasn't their kid I refused to even admit them into my life." He ran a hand through Connor's hair as he sighed in a fit of nostalgia. "So I thought if I tried to find out who my real parents were I would be betraying them again."  
  
"Oh," she nodded. She played with a strand of her hair, braiding it subconsciously with one hand. "Your parents must really be cool."  
  
"They are," he agreed, a surge of pride welling up in his chest like a knot. "They are, you'd have to meet them sometime."  
  
"'Iro!" Connor suddenly called out. "Whewe you fom?"  
  
"Japan," Izzy answered. The boy nodded, satisfied, and went back to merrily sucking on the juice box in his small hands. "So, your turn. What about you?"  
  
"Me?" She said. "I uh…sort of remember." She paused to think about her answer. She gave a nod to reassure herself. "I don't remember Japan, although I wish I could. Nor do I actually remember being with you. But I've always remembered that I had a brother. I guess that's cuz I stayed with dad."  
  
"Did he talk about me?" He asked.  
  
She frowned. "No…" Again her hand began braiding the strand of hair again. "Living with dad was never easy. He wasn't a very nice person. So as a reassurance I always remembered I had other family." She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sure it sounds stupid. But hey, that's life."  
  
"I've met dad, but what happened to mom?" He asked.  
  
She grimaced. "She died. Like an hour after we were born. Complications or something."  
  
"Oh," Izzy murmured, dismayed. "Well-"  
  
"Okay, let's get this over with!" One of Kacey's band mates yelled as he tackled/hugged her. "I'm sure C has places to go," he teased as her wrapped an arm around her neck and began to give her a noogie.  
  
"Scott, you're hurting me!" She squirmed.  
  
"Say I love you Scott," he taunted, arm still around her neck.  
  
"Lemme go!" She struggled trying to pry his arm off.  
  
"No, try it again. I love you Scott." He jabbed her in the ribs, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.  
  
"I love you Scott," she sing-songed unenthusiastically.  
  
"You're the best Scott."  
  
"You're the best Scott."  
  
The man with his thick-framed glasses and spiky mop of black hair looked up at Izzy with a white-toothed grin. "Yo Connor, how's it hanging buddy?"  
  
"Good," the boy said simply.  
  
"What should I do to mommy here?" He asked as he poked Kacey in the ribs again.   
  
The blond boy grinned. "Tickwe hew!"  
  
"Yeah!" Scott laughed as he began to tickle Kacey, who could do nothing but struggle and squirm. Scott stopped when tears streamed from her eyes and looked up at Izzy again. "Hey, how you doing?" He extended his hand for Izzy to shake. "I'm Scott. Lead guitar." He rubbed Kacey's head again, messing her hair, which had been pulled into a ponytail. "Kacey's best friend. Come on C, say it."  
  
"You're my best friend," she called.  
  
"I'm Izzy," he replied, unsure how to react to the two.  
  
"How do you know Kacey?" He asked.  
  
"He's my brother!" She yelled. "Lemme go!" Her demands were starting to sound more like whines.  
  
He let her go. "Oh I didn't know you had a brother. That's cool. Come to watch her sing?" Izzy shrugged. Scott turned back to Kacey, who was attempting to fix her hair. He reached out and messed it up once more. "You know you love me, C." He looked over to his band mate. "Come on!" He stomped his ankle high boots. "Let's get this over with. I have a hot date."  
  
Grumbling the others walked over and took their places on stage. "You and Connor can sit there." She pointed to a table a yard from the stage and Izzy sat down with Connor still in his arms. Kacey grabbed the mic. "Scott, the Victoria Secret catalog doesn't count as a 'hot date'." His band mates laughed.  
  
He shook his fist at her as he hung his guitar strap over his shoulder. "You just wait, C. We'll see who's laughing." He glanced back at his band mates. "Okay, set one. Rick, count it down."  
  
The large man seated behind an even larger set of drums held up two pale drumsticks. "One, two, one, two, three, four…"  
  
Scott started up with his red and white electric guitar, playing a fast tune. Rick, the drummer joined in, before Kacey stepped up to the mic. Connor began clapping in Izzy's lap and Kacey laughed.  
  
"Amphetamines and jelly beans, she was pretty in her teens. Waiting for the month of come what may, I smelled you on my shirt today…"   
  
'She's good,' Izzy thought impressed. But his awe was quickly interrupted when Conner suddenly jumped from his lap and ran out of his sight behind him. Startled he whipped around in his seat, only to find the golden haired toddler pushing a chair from a table up to the bar. Fascinated he watched his nephew in interest while Kacey's singing continued on in the background.  
  
"Phone me, tell me, that's your waiting, by the phone for me to phone you…"   
  
Connor climbed up onto the chair and used that as a step stool to climb up onto the barstool. Mac, the bartender, who had been down at the other end of the bar taking inventory set down his clipboard and walked over to the boy who sat patiently spinning on the barstool. "Hey big man, what'll it be?"  
  
"Soda!" He yelled as the spinning slowed and came to a halt.  
  
"Soda? Is that okay with your mom?" A mischievous grin crossed his face and he gave an overly convincing nod. "Okay!" He pulled a glass from under the bar and went to the soda tap. "Who's that?" He gestured over to Izzy who watched the pair at the bar from his seat.  
  
"Unca 'Iro! Come hewe!" The red head got up from his and joined them.  
  
"Well, hi, Unca 'Iro!" Mac greeted. "I do believe we've spoken before. The name's Mac, I'm the owner of this fine establishment."  
  
Izzy nodded numbly. "My name is Koushiro."  
  
"Your C's brother right?" Again Izzy nodded. "You older?"  
  
"Well, maybe by like ten minutes," he laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "We're twins."  
  
"Can I get you anything?" Mac offered holding up a glass.  
  
"He'w haf soda," Connor interjected, briefly halting from sucking on his straw.  
  
"Soda's good," Izzy shrugged.  
  
Mac poured Izzy's drink. "Twins eh? Where are you from? You look Asian."  
  
"Japanese." Izzy took his drink. After taking a sip he spit it back out. "What is this?" He demanded as Connor copied his example and spit his drink back into his cup. "I said soda."  
  
Mac laughed. "It is soda. Well, it has soda in it. Rum and coke."  
  
Izzy wiped his mouth and set the drink down. "Thanks, but no."  
  
"Yeah," Connor mimicked as he arched his eyebrow. "Fanks, but no fanks."  
  
"Ah, I see. Can't hold your liquor either." Mac laughed at him. He poured a second drink that look and bubbled like beer. "Here you are. Ginger ale. You'll look like a big boy by drinking something that looks like real booze." Izzy just stared at the glass sourly as the band started a new song.  
  
"Watch your mouth…"  
  
"Don't sweat anything I say to you. I made fun of C a lot for being a non-drinker."  
  
"How do you know her?" Izzy asked as he took a drink of his ginger ale.  
  
"Now you're drowning in your own saliva…"  
  
"Foster home," Mac replied. "She was in the same foster home as me in Colorado."  
  
"Well keep on talking, just keep on rambling, you've got your mouth full, now listen here's the pleasant part, you and I we fell apart why don't you make up your mind…"  
  
Izzy listened to the song silently, enjoying the sound. "How often do they play?"  
  
"Sundays, Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays. I'd get them to play more, but C's usually got school and work."  
  
"Work?"  
  
"She works in a restaurant on fourth. You didn't know that?" He shook his head. "Yeah, this is just for fun. She works at the restaurant to help support her family."  
  
"What about Victor?"  
  
"He works too. He's an intern in some law office." Izzy nodded.  
  
The song ended and the band started to put away their instruments. "Well, good job today guys. See you tomorrow night," Scott called. He turned to his leading lady at the mic. "Kacey you did excellent!  
  
She rolled her eyes behind crossed arms. "We did two songs," she griped, irritated.  
  
"Well, we did those five before we took a break. And if you ask me, we sounded better after went knocked back a few. Maybe you should join us next time."  
  
She laughed at him before turning to face off the stage. "Connor!" She called. He spun on the barstool to face her. "What should I have to drink?"  
  
"Soda!" He yelled. She smirked smugly at Scott.  
  
He looped his arm around her neck in a chokehold position once again. "Connor, what should I do to mama now?"  
  
"Tickwe herw!"  
  
Once more he had her laughing until big tears rolled down her face in streams. Izzy glanced over at Mac. "Does he do that to her often?"  
  
Mac glanced up from his clipboard. "Who Scott? Oh yeah. He loves to pester her. Its his favorite pass time."  
  
Scott finally released Kacey, allowing her to collapse onto the stage crying and giggling. Izzy left his position beside Connor and hopped up onto the stage beside Kacey as she wheezed air into her lungs. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah…" she giggled. "This happens daily."  
  
"How do you know Scott? You seem…close."  
  
"Scott took me in when I can to San Fransisco. Well him and Mac. They were room mates and they let both me and Connor stay at their place," she explained. "Scott's the best. When he heard me sing he immediately offered me a job in the band. He and I went out for awhile but we called it off." She leaned back on the stage, propped up on her elbows. "'Shiro do you have the time?"  
  
He glanced down at his wristwatch. "Ten fifteen," he read.  
  
"Crap," she murmured. "I gotta get Connor to daycare."  
  
"Daycare, why?"  
  
"I've gotta get to work." She pushed herself to her feet. "It was nice talking with you."  
  
"Well, uh, my friends and I were going out to dinner tonight, would you, Connor, and Victor like to join us."  
  
"Yeah," she nodded. "We'll go. Where?"  
  
"Renee's on Seventh and Park at six."  
  
"Sweet, we'll be there." She bent over and gave him a peck on the cheek. She straightened and jumped off the stage. "Connor, say bye to Koushiro."  
  
"Bye Unca 'Iro!" The little boy waved as he jumped down from the barstool. He watched as she picked him up and walked out of the club.  
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"Connor! Get back here!" A red haired woman yelled as she chased after her golden haired son. He giggled as he ducked under the kitchen table. She grinned. "Hmmmm. Where did Connor go?" She circled the table. "Connor. Connor, where'd you go?" She staggered to the living room. "Oh no, I lost Connor. Oh woe is me. What ever will I do?" She collapsed onto to the forest green couch, eyes closed and tongue hanging out.  
  
"Mama?" She squinted and saw him crawl out from under the table. He stood up. "Mama?" He began to walk over and she snapped her eyes shut. "Mama, I wight hewe." She felt a weight on her stomach as he climbed onto her and sat down. He jumped up and down on her stomach. "Wake up!"  
  
"Rarrrr!" She sat up and wrapped her arms around him. He screamed. "Gotcha!"  
  
"No!" He struggled. "Lemme go!" She kissed her cheek. "EW!" Victor walked into the room. "Daddy, help me!"  
  
The Mexican man showed a white-toothed grin. "What's she doing to you?"  
  
"Mama kissed me! And she won't let me go!" He struggled in her arms. "LEMME GO!"  
  
Victor sat down on the couch behind her and began to tickle her. Her hands immediately shot to grab hold of his hands. "Stop!" She giggled.  
  
"Run Connor, run!"  
  
The boy jumped off the couch and ran down the hall. "Hey!" She snapped between laughing and struggling. She wrestled away. "I was trying to get him ready!"  
  
"Ready? For what?"  
  
"Victor, don't tell me you forgot. Lunch with my brother and his friends." He didn't show of remembrance. "Victor, I called you earlier and told you. I told 'Shiro that we'd have lunch." She pushed herself off the couch. "I gotta get ready. You too."  
  
He stood and grabbed her arm. "Kacey, I don't want you to see him."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't want you going to meet up with him or his friends. I don't want you to see him at all. Ever." His voice was hard as were his mahogany colored eyes.  
  
She pulled away from him. "Don't order me around Victor!"  
  
"I will!" He retorted. He grabbed her arms. "Because you're being stupid! You can't mess around with these people! They're dangerous. And if your father found out-"  
  
"My dad won't find out," she finished matter-of-factly. "He's not here." His hands on her arms tightened and she grimaced. "Let me go, Victor." Her voice squeaked.  
  
"Daddy?" The pair looked up to see Connor standing just inside the living room.  
  
Victor released Kacey's arms and stepped back. "Hey bud, what's up?"  
  
"Mama?" Victor looked at Kacey who was rubbing her arms where he had held them tightly. The boy walked over to her and held up hers arms for her to pick him up. "Don't cwy, mama. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing Connor." She hugged him tightly.  
  
"This is why you need to stop seeing him. You tell him today! Unless your willing to give up Connor, you will tell him to screw off and go back to where ever the hell he came from."  
  
She looked up at him as she hugged her son. "I'm not willing to give up my son. But I'm not telling my brother to leave." She turned and walked out of the room.  
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They sat in uncomfortable silences over and over again. After every topic they would just sit there, exchanging looks or nods. It was obvious from the beginning that Victor didn't like the DigiDestined. And it was obvious that Kacey knew; she just ignored the hateful looks he sent Matt, Izzy, Tai and Sora.  
  
Partway through the meal Connor stood up on his chair and cupped his hand over Kacey's ear. He whispered something to her. Kacey nodded and stood up, tossing her napkin onto the table. "I'll be back in a minute. Connor has to use the restroom." She picked up the blond little boy, who continued to wiggle in her arms. As she walked away from the table she smacked Victor in the back of the head.  
  
The four DigiDestined watched her leave wishing she hadn't. "So…uh…" Izzy began as an attempt for conversation. "Victor, when did you meet Kacey?"  
  
Victor stared at him, fuming with hatred. "I don't like you, don't attempt to talk to me. I don't want anything to do with you. I really just want you to stay away from my fiancé and my son."  
  
"F-fiancé?" Izzy stuttered out.  
  
"Yeah, my fiancé," he retorted. He leaned in over the table. "You should leave and never bother us again. Go back to Japan. You're not welcome here. You have no idea what you're messing with."  
  
Matt leaned over. "Neither do you."  
  
"I have a pretty good idea. And I'm not afraid of you. What are you going to do? Whip out a digimon and fry me."  
  
At that point Kacey returned with Connor pulling her back to the table. "Hey everybody." She helped Connor back into his seat. "Talk about anything interesting while we we're gone."  
  
Victor just grinned at her. "Nope," he replied shaking his head. "Just getting to know each other." He glared at Izzy again.  
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They stood up and mingled they're way to the exit of the restaurant. Out of the corner of her eye Sora watched Kacey walking briskly beside Victor. He had her wrist in a vice lock and she was biting her lip, to hide the pain obviously. "Kacey," Sora called as she dashed up behind the lanky redhead. She turned around and Sora locked eyes with Kacey's charcoal ones, the same she saw in Izzy everyday.  
  
She glanced back at Victor, "Just a sec." He released her wrist, not looking happy and she turned back to Sora, rubbing her wrist tenderly. Sora pretended not to notice. "Yeah, Sora?"  
  
"I just wanted to know if maybe tomorrow you might want to go out to lunch or something. I would love to get to know you better," Sora explained.  
  
"Oh really?" She seemed to be caught surprised by the proposal. "Well, I'm free tomorrow, it's just me and Connor if you'd like to have lunch with us."  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
"Great. I'll meet you at your hotel room and we'll walk down to the park."  
  
"Great!" Sora squeaked, hoping not to sound too false.  
  
"I'll seeya tomorrow at eleven. Bye!" Kacey turned back to join her boyfriend and son. As they walked away Sora distinctly saw Victor grab her arm roughly and Kacey's face contort into one of pain.  
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"I don't get it!" Izzy snapped as he lay back on his hotel bed. "How is it the majority of Japan doesn't know about digimon and everything pretty much happened there and we come to America and every asshole we find knows and wants to mess with us?"  
  
Sora sat down beside him and rubbed his forehead. "Not every asshole. Just your dad and Victor. I mean there are a lot of assholes in America."  
  
"Don't call him that!" He snapped suddenly.  
  
"Who?" She asked withdrawing her hand for a second startled by his sudden venomous reaction.  
  
"My dad," he replied turning his head away, gesturing for her to stop. "Don't call him my dad…"  
  
"Sorry," she apologized.  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes before he propped himself up on his elbows. "So the four of us are going shopping and sightseeing tomorrow. Was there anywhere you wanted to go in particular?"  
  
She stared to pull of her shoes. "Sorry, but I can't. I'm going to have lunch with your sister."  
  
"Oh really?" He pushed himself up into a sitting position and flipped on the lamp. "How come?"  
  
She began to remove her earrings. "I want to get to know her better," she replied as she set her ruby earrings on the dresser by the bed.   
  
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Do I detect an underlying meaning to that?"  
  
She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I just want to talk to her okay?" She shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, that's cool," he complied. "I think that's actually really nice. Thanks for trying. I think Victor may have scare Tai and Matt off. Or pissed them off." He lay back down. "I can't believe that guy."  
  
Sora lay down on her side beside him and he reached over her to flip off the lamp. She felt his arm wrap around her waist. "Izzy," she muttered quietly. "Do you think Victor hurts your sister?"  
  
"What?" He abruptly pulled away and she rolled over to meet his eyes. He sat up and stared down at her, but his face was covered in shadow. "Why?"  
  
She shook her head. "Never mind."  
  
"No really. Sora, if you know something-"  
  
"I didn't, don't worry," she snapped.   
  
He still hovered over her in the dark, his breathing hard and fast. "She's not telling me something," he told her cryptically. "And it's not about Victor, at least I don't think. It has something to do with Mizuhara. Every time I ask about him she freezes or changes the subject."  
  
"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to about him. He did give her up for adoption," she reasoned, trying to sound helpful.  
  
"That's the thing. She's talked about him before. She seemed uncomfortable, but she talked about him with no problem." He sighed and it sounded strained with confusion. "I don't know."  
  
She leaned up and kissed him and he leaned in obviously enjoying it. When she pulled away she kissed his cheek. "You'll figure something out. You always do," she reassured him as she lay down.  
  
In the she felt him smile. "Yeah. I guess. Night Sora."  
  
"Night Izzy."  
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They sat on opposite sides of the bed, back facing back, refusing to turn around and break the silence. The ticking of his watch pounded in their ears while the light of the single lamp on her side burned the back of his neck and burned her eyes.  
  
His hand was still red and her cheek still burned. He hadn't meant to lose his temper like he did and he hadn't meant to slap her. Neither has she meant to say all those harsh thing she had said. But despite all the regret that hung in the room and silence their vocal chords and ceased all movements, the sour words still hung at the tip of her tongue and his anger still boiled to a point where he could hit her again.  
  
Suddenly he wished that he wasn't where he was.  
  
Abruptly he stood up and his footsteps pounded out the bedroom. He slammed the white door, momentarily forgetting Connor, his more or less son, was asleep down the dark hall. Being in the hall was a relief from the tension in the room, but it didn't settle the knot of rage and regret inside his chest. Back inside the room she sobbed, knowing exactly what he was going to do and unable to keep in the fear induced panic and pain his large hand had caused.  
  
In the dining room he sat at the kitchen table with the phone pressed to his. "Hello, Mr. Mizuhara?"  
  
Her sobbing only increased.  
  
  
  
  
  
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Its kick ass if I do say so myself! Hehe....please review and tell me what you think.  
  
By the way, to clear somethings up:  
Cassandra or Kacey is seventeen (17)  
Connor is three (3)  
Victor is not Connor's real father. He just took on that role. The real father is back in Alabama or where ever. 


	8. Gun Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
Sora sat in the living room of their hotel room flipping through the 400 channels of the TV. Tai, Matt and Izzy had already left for their 'guys day out', leaving her alone to wait for Kacey and Connor.   
  
There was a knock at the door. Sora flipped off the TV and got off the couch. "Coming!" She called as she walked to the door. She opened it to reveal the face of the hotel's tired looking and wrinkled cleaning woman. "Yes?" Sora asked with a smile.   
  
"Sorry to bother you miss," the woman said politely. "But a young woman came by right now and asked me to give this to you." The woman held out a folded piece of paper with Sora written on it in small letters.  
  
"Oh thanks," Sora said as she took the paper.  
  
"Have a nice day miss," the woman parted.  
  
"You too," Sora replied as she shut the door and went back into the massive and cool hotel room. She opened the note.  
  
'Dear Sora,' it read in blue pen. The writing was small and neat. 'I'm sorry that I didn't call you or stop to see you, but I can't. Some things have come up and I can't see you. At all. Please, you just need to leave and go home to Japan. I'm sorry I'm leaving it like this, but you need to tell Izzy because I can't. I'm sorry. Kacey.'  
  
Sora crumpled the note in her hand and ran out the door of her hotel room. She passed the cleaning woman and her cart as she dashed down the plush, brightly lit hotel hall. She passed the elevator and wrenched open the door to the stairwell, too much in a hurry to wait for the elevator. Two floors later, in under a minute, Sora burst through the door of the stairwell into the lobby with the hotel's stuffy staff staring down on her just as Kacey walked out the front doors. Sora pumped her legs harder and threw the front glass doors open, only to get hit with a blast of hot, humid air. "Kacey!" She yelled over the roar of traffic. The red head glanced back looking distressed by Sora's pursuit of her. For a second she looked like she was debating whether to run away or not, but they both knew Sora could catch her even if she tried.  
  
"Kacey!" She stopped at the other girl, panting. "What happened? What does this mean?" She held up the note. She met her eyes. "What happened to your face?!" Kacey tried to look away to hide a nasty looking black-purple bruise, but Sora grabbed her chin and pushed it up to look at her face.  
  
"Its nothing," she whispered in a shaky voice. "Connor and I were playing. He threw something at me." Her voice was raw and hoarse and her black eyes kept darting around the street at the faces of passers.  
  
Sora would have laughed had the situation not been so grave. "There is no way your THREE year old could have enough strength to throw something hard enough to make half your face swell up!" Kacey looked away, releasing a discouraged sigh. "Kacey, look at me!" The shorter girl met her eyes in obedience. "Did Victor do this?"  
  
Kacey snorted as if the suggestion was completely absurd. "No! Victor loves-"  
  
"Kacey," Sora interjected. "Did Victor do this?" She closed her eyes and nodded. "Where's Connor?"  
  
"A-at my friend's house."  
  
"Good. Come on, we'll go back to my hotel room and-"  
  
"No!" Kacey yelled, her voice thick with fear. "I have to get home."  
  
"Kacey, I'm not going to let you go home with him. Come back to the hotel and I'll put some much needed ice on your cheek." She shook her head and tried to back away, but Sora caught her arm. "Kacey."  
  
With a sigh of defeat she nodded. "Okay, but I can't stay long," she consented.  
  
Sora took her arm and gently led her back to the hotel. When they were inside Sora sat her down on the couch and filled a washcloth with ice. "Here," she said as she held it to her swollen and bruised cheek. Kacey withdrew in pain. Sora pressed it into her hand. "Here, you hold it there. I'm going to call to call Izzy."  
  
Kacey jumped to her feet. "Sora, no! Please I just have to get home."  
  
"I'm not letting you go home, Kacey! I'm calling Izzy." Sora dialed Matt's cell number as Kacey collapsed onto the couch in defeat, holding the ice filled cloth to her head.  
  
"Hello?" Matt greeted in a sugary voice.  
  
"Hey, where are you guys?" Sora asked instantly.  
  
In the background she could hear Izzy and Tai talking. "Its Sora," Matt whispered to them. "We're down in China Town. About half an hour away."  
  
"You guys need to come back." She looked up at Kacey to see her waving her arms and shaking her head no.  
  
"Why?" Matt snorted.   
  
"Kacey's here. Victor beat her up."  
  
"He what?!" Tai and Izzy were laughing noisily in the background. "Shut up!" Matt snapped. "We'll be there in twenty minutes." The line went dead as Matt hung up.  
  
Sora set the phone down. "They're on their way."  
  
Kacey looked at her sourly. "He didn't beat me up! He hit me. Once, only once. You didn't need to call Koushiro. This isn't his problem."  
  
"It is," Sora replied calmly. She sat down on the couch beside her. "Kacey, what did you think would happened when we found your note? Did you actually think we'd leave?"  
  
"I dunno," she shrugged. "Yes."   
  
Sora shook her head, not understanding the reasoning. "Why? I thought you and Izzy were getting along really well."  
  
"We were. But, there's just some stuff you wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"Victor and I were fighting last night when he did this to me. He said I can't see you anymore."  
  
"Why doesn't he want you to see us? I know he doesn't like us and all, but there's no foundation for his hatred."  
  
"Because you're a DigiDestined," she replied honestly.  
  
"A DigiDestined? Why would he hate us for that? We didn't do anything wrong," Sora argued.  
  
"I know that, but not everyone agrees with you. A lot of people, especially in the US are opposed to digimon and DigiDestined. They think it's your fault for everything that happened. It was dangerous here for DigiDestined." She sighed. "Victor's one of those people. That's why he hates you."  
  
"Do you agree with him?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then why let him tell you what to do like this? Izzy is your brother, it's not his choice!"  
  
"That's what you don't understand. It's not mine either!"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Its my dad."  
  
"Your dad?" Kacey nodded. "How so? He claimed he hadn't been apart of your life in almost seven years."  
  
"That's true. Sort of." She sighed, "God I hate my dad." Her voice got high as she held her face in her hands. "He's coming. He's going to come to Cali and he'll just show up, go down to University and pull my application. Then he's going to take Connor!"  
  
"What?!" Sora held up her hands. "Slow down and back up! Your dad's coming, correct?" Kacey nodded. "And he's going to take Connor from you and he's going to pull your application from college. Why the hell would he do that?"  
  
"We had an agreement. He wouldn't interfere in my life and pay for college on two conditions. I never went to him, meaning I never exposed myself to his wife and-" She met Sora's eyes. "And I stayed away from the DigiDestined. Meaning Izzy."  
  
"But how would he know?"  
  
"Victor." The name wasn't said with anger or fear, just pain and betrayal. "Victor believes the DigiDestined are truly dangerous. So he'll follow everything my dad will order. But I really can't blame him. He's misinformed and he thinks that he's protecting me and Connor from the threat of the DigiDestined. I can't lose Connor, Sora," she admitted, voice trembling. "But I am scared to death of my dad."  
  
The door opened and Izzy plowed in with Matt and Tai trailing behind him. He ran over to the couch. "Kacey, what happened?" She looked up at him so he could see her cheek. "I'll kill him. Where the hell is Victor? I'll go knock some sense into him."  
  
"Whoa, home boy!" Matt cut in calmly. "Fightings not the answer here."  
  
Izzy whirled around and stared at Matt with fiery eyes. "Matt, how can you say that? Look what he did! If this were TK would you-"  
  
"Bad example! TK can now hold his own! Besides, do you seriously think you could take on Victor? He's a thug waiting to happen! He'd wipe the floor with you!"  
  
"Izzy," Kacey called. Her red haired brother looked up. "Stop it. Matt's right. You getting creamed by Victor isn't going to solve anything." She sighed as tears built in her eyes. "So here's the solution. I can't see you anymore."  
  
"What?!" His mouth dropped. "You can't be serious!"  
  
She bit her lip. "I am. I think it would be a smarter idea if you went back to Japan and forgot I existed." She stood up and walked to the door. "I'm sorry."  
  
"You're a DigiDestined!" Sora yelled.  
  
Kacey's head snapped up. "What?"  
  
"You're a DigiDestined," Sora repeated. "Look." She turned to Tai. "Go get her 'vice and crest." He scrambled into the room she and Izzy shared and came back with the 'old fashioned' digivice and a green-blue crest. She gave them to Kacey, who stared at them with big eyes. "Your one of us."  
  
She studied the items. "What does that mean?" She asked holding up the crest.  
  
"That's sovereignty," Izzy answered. "That's your crest."  
  
Kacey pushed the items back into Sora's hands. "I can't accept these. I think I should just go." She stepped away from Sora, looking unsure before turning and running out of the hotel room.  
  
(Sovereignty means independence.)  
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Kacey pushed her silver key into the lock while balancing her sleeping son on one arm. His head rested heavily on her shoulder while his blond hair tickled her neck. She pushed into the apartment and froze in her tracks.  
  
Her father pushed himself off the couch. Victor sat at the kitchen table looking away. "D-dad, when did you get here?"  
  
"This morning," he responded plainly. "Is that your son?" By the question one might think he was interested, but his tone reveal lack of compassion for either of the two.  
  
"Yes," she replied, hugging him closer.  
  
"Perhaps you should go lay him down. You and I need to talk."  
  
"Yes sir," her voice squeaked. She waked past him, with her head down and down the hall into Connor's room. Kicking toys back to get to his bed she laid him down as Victor came into the room.  
  
"Kacey-"  
  
"Don't even bother, Victor!" She snapped, surprisingly angry. Usually when it came to her father or any other situation of this nature, she laid down and did what he said. But this was too much. "You went too far."  
  
"Kacey, I-" He started, looking guilty.  
  
"Don't Victor! Just stop!" She met his eyes. "Why? Why'd you call him? You knew the consequence. You knew what I'd lose!"  
  
"I was trying to do the right thing," he offered.  
  
"But you knew what he'd do! Victor," she took a breath, trying to calm down. "I have done everything you have told me too. I never contacted my brother; I gave up friendships to suspected DigiDestined! You hit me and I was willing to forgive you and tell my brother I couldn't see him! But what did you think calling my father would do? He doesn't take his threats lightly!"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, just get out. Because the fact is, I can drop you, but I need Connor. And I need my brother. But you've messed both of them up in a matter of hours!"  
  
"Kacey, you can't blame me for everything. You knew what would happen too!"  
  
"I have been in and out of foster homes half my life without anyone giving a damn whether I was there or not! Prior to that I had my father, the damn bastard, and Koushiro. When my brother came into the club I was all ready to tell him to leave. I had yours and my father's voice in my head yelling at me about consequences and other crap! But I couldn't. He's my brother and for once I need someone beside you and Connor." She walked to the door and stopped. "I want you to leave."  
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Izzy stood by the window in his hotel room staring out as he rubbed his temples. His head throbbed. Sora was in their room, feeling terrible after driving Kacey away. Matt and Tai went out in search of food.  
  
'This is my fault,' he thought. 'Or maybe its my dad's. Or maybe there's something screwed up with the entire Mizuhara line. I can't believe that's my last name.'  
  
There was a knock at the door and Izzy hesitantly separated from the window. He opened the door and blinked in surprise. Victor stood in front of him.  
  
On first impulse Izzy lunged at him, grabbing him by the neck and slammed him into the wall of the hall. "What do you think your doing here, asshole?!" He yelled as he slammed Victor into the wall again. People are them opened their doors to investigate the noise as Sora came out of their room.  
  
"Izzy!" She yelled.  
  
"Get…off of…me!" Victor grunted. He kicked Izzy in the stomach, sending him crashing to the floor back inside the room. Sora ran to Izzy's side as Victor pushed himself off the wall. "Nothing to see here people. Please don't call the cops." He walked into the room with Izzy and Sora. "Lord knows I don't need that on my record too."  
  
Once Sora helped him to his feet he pushed her away. "I'm alright," he insisted. "What are you doing here? Kacey's not here if your looking for her."  
  
"I'm not," the Mexican man replied sourly. "I know where she is."  
  
"Then why are you here? Come to hit me like you did her?"  
  
He sighed, dejected. "I swear I never meant to hit her and I feel terrible. I never meant to hurt her. I truly love her."  
  
"Answer my question you fucking bastard! Why are you here?" Izzy exploded impatiently.  
  
"Kacey's in trouble. I called her- your father," Izzy's nostrils flared in anger, "and he's here. He's going to take Connor from her."  
  
"What can we do? You told us to stay away from her! Can't you handle it yourself?"  
  
"She kicked me out." Izzy snorted and said something that sounded like 'good' under his breath. "And Mizuhara won't listen to me. You could probably make a better impact then I could."  
  
"Mizuhara doesn't like me. Deal with it yourself."  
  
"Please," he begged. "She refuses to even let me in the house." Again Izzy mumbled 'good' and Sora elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
Izzy reached into his pocket and pulled out Kacey's digivice. He placed in Victor's hand. "Do you know what that is?" Victor shook his head. "That's a digivice." Victor tossed it away and Izzy caught it easily. Victor wiped his hand on his jeans as if it were the digivice left a disgusting residue there. Izzy lashed out, grabbing his wrist and forced the digivice into his hand. He grabbed the front of his shirt; bring the taller man down so they could be face to face. "Hold it and listen!" When Victor didn't give any form of resistance he continued. "That's digivice belongs to your girlfriend. I came here to give it to her. Before I do anything to help you, you need to realize that digimon aren't bad and that DigiDestined didn't cause any of the attacks that happened. We saved your sorry ass and everyone else on the planet. Everything the DigiDestined do is to help people! We would never do anything to hurt anyone. Now, here's the part you might find hard to swallow. Your girlfriend is one of us. She has a digimon, she's part of our team and you have to accept that. And as soon as this whole thing that you created with my father is over, if she takes you back that is, you better not ever do anything to hurt her because of that." He let him go. "Let's go."  
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He was pacing back and forth, lecturing and yelling. She just sat on the couch, quietly listening with her head down feeling like the same little girl he used to threaten. Things never changed. He stopped pacing and stared at her fiercely with matching lifeless, shark black eyes. "I warned you Cassandra. I told you what would happen. I hope your ready to face the consequences."  
  
She jumped to her feet. "No, please! Dad, don't take Connor from me. His face gave off no emotion, but his eyebrows rose with surprise. "Please…sir."  
  
"Sit down," he commanded. She obliged, regret written into her face. "Young lady, don't start begging me now. You knew as long as you were under legal age your son was at stake. You have been warned repeatedly. I suggest you prepare his things so we can go."  
  
Tears sprang in her eyes. "You can't."  
  
"I CAN!"  
  
The floor creaked behind him and the pair looked up. Connor stood just inside the room, rubbing his eyes as tears rolled down his face. She leapt off the couch. "Connor, sweetheart, what's wrong?" He held up his arms for her to pick him up and then buried his face in her shoulder. He mumured something like nightmare. "Its okay, baby. Its okay."  
  
"Put him down," Yushiro Mizuhara ordered. She looked at him in perplexity. "Put your son down and get his things."  
  
There was a pounding at the door. She pulled her eyes from him and walked to the front door. She opened it and slammed it shut. He gave her an odd look. "Give me a minute." She walked out of the house. Izzy, Sora and Victor stood in the hall. "What the hell are you doing here?" She growled. "If my dad catches you-"  
  
"Victor brought me here to help you," Izzy replied.  
  
"If he wanted to help he shoulda just left me alone," she growled. "You really want to help, then Izzy you can come in, Sora take Connor and go back to your place. Just hide out for awhile." Sora nodded and took Connor into her arms. The blond child didn't put up much of a fight, but rested his head on her shoulder.  
  
"Go ahead and take the car," Izzy said as he kissed Sora. She nodded and turned to leave.  
  
Victor caught Kacey's arm. "Kac, p-"  
  
"Don't talk to me!" She snapped pulling away.  
  
"Kacey, please." He pressed her digivice into her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm here for you." She stared at him, uncertain, and he leaned down and kissed her.  
  
She pulled away. "My dad's probably waiting." He nodded. She took a deep breath and walked into the apartment. The look her father gave the three, or at least her and Izzy was positively nerve breaking.  
  
"What do you think your doing here?" He asked Izzy repulsed.  
  
"I'm here to keep you from bullying Kacey, you stupid bastard," Izzy snapped.  
  
"Wouldn't that be you? I mean, I did renounced myself as your father," Mizuhara suggested sardonically.  
  
"No, I have a father. He adopted me," Izzy replied. "How could you lie straight to my face like that?"  
  
"I never lied to you. You never straight forward asked me about me being your father."  
  
"Not about being my father, you just danced around the truth! But you lied about not knowing where Kacey was!"  
  
"I had every right!" Mizuhara exploded. "Because otherwise I would have had her mixing with your kind."  
  
"My kind?" Izzy questioned.  
  
"The DigiDestined. Why do you think I gave you up?" He replied. "I saw it that night in Heighten View Terrace. I had both you and your sister; you both lived with me at the time. And I saw the digimon fighting and the light that hit you." He noticed the odd look Kacey was giving him. "You were asleep in the apartment." He began to pace. "The DigiDestined are a natural threat to society. They bring a war to humans through digimon. They're evil." He met Izzy's eyes. "They're freaks." He sighed and looked away. "Your mother was one."  
  
"So she was a freak?" Izzy asked.  
  
"Yeah, she was," he shrugged, nonchalant. "Why else do you think I separated the two of you? I didn't want you around her! You or your damned friends. So we moved to New York, but that damn Gennai found her there. Then we moved to Washington. He came there too."  
  
"Persistent bastard, ain't he?" Victor muttered.  
  
"It was about then when I wrote a virus and sent it into the Digital World. It kept Gennai from ever being able to bio emerge anywhere near Cassandra."  
  
"Is that why we moved?" She asked, speaking up for the first time since Izzy and Victor had shown up. "Just to separate us?"  
  
"Yeah," Mizuhara shrugged as if it were a valid excuse. "Cassandra, the DigiDestined, their not good for you-"  
  
"Oh and you are?" Izzy interjected. "You who threaten her? You who ruin her life to keep her from becoming what I have become. And what might that be exactly? Because I know at least half a million people in Japan alone who would probably defend my friends and myself. Or beat you down for everything you've said about us, you crazy assed old man!"  
  
"I don't need lip from a snot nosed brat with a scrape of data as a pet. I suggest you leave. I have business to take care of."  
  
"No way," Izzy refused.  
  
Mizuhara pulled a black pistol from his pocket. "Get out."  
  
"You're going to shoot me now?!" Izzy snapped, not quite comprehending the severity of the situation. His anger blinded him.  
  
"Izzy! Stop!" Kacey screamed in fear.  
  
"Koushiro, I'm warning you." Mizuhara cocked the gun.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
The gun fired.  
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	9. Consequences

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
In a flash of light everything around her disappeared and the ground disappeared from under her feet. The light faded and she landed hard on her butt with a loud 'oof'. Blinking twice to clear the blurriness from her eyes, she glanced around. She was sitting in the middle of a large green field.  
  
Kacey pushed herself to her feet, calling, "Koushiro? Victor?" Dusting of her shorts, she continued to survey the landscape. Nothing looked familiar.  
  
'How'd I get here?' She asked in between a cross of annoyance and interest. 'Where's here anyway?'  
  
She stepped forward then halted, causing a cloud of dust to rise around her sneakers. Wasn't the rule that if you get lost you should stay where you are? But did it really apply to this situation? She was just magically brought here.  
  
Then everything started to come back. Dad and the gun. Koushiro in the line of fire. And the gun shot. "IZZY!" She called out. What if he was dead?  
  
A twig snapped somewhere behind, causing her to jump out of her skin. Whipping around, her eyes darted across the field. There was no one there. "What?"  
  
"Hi!" Again she jumped out of her skin, stumbling forward this time only to fall down into the grass. She rolled over into a sitting position, pushing red hair out of her eyes. "Ha your funny!" At her feet a pink ball with a horn sticking out of its head jumped up and down.  
  
"Aaaa-oof!" It jumped on her stomach and continued to jump.  
  
"I'm Katomomon and I like you! So you can play with me, okay?" It hopped and talked through its wide mouth.  
  
Her eyes widened. "Katomomon? As in a digimon?"  
  
"Yeah, silly! What did you think I was, a human?" Katomomon laughed and jumped off of her. "Let's play!"  
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'Am I dead? I don't feel dead… How do you feel dead? Should I be in pain?' He traced a hand over his chest then his stomach, then head. No bullet holes, that's a good sign.  
  
He opened his eyes. Blue sky loomed over him. Forcing himself to his feet he surveyed his position. A surge of excitement raced through him.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a groan by his feet. He looked down to see Victor, lying on his back. Izzy fought a grin as he helped the older man to his feet. Victor thanked him before looking around. "Where are we?"  
  
Izzy could have laughed. "The Digital World."  
  
Victor's head snapped back towards him. "Say what?"  
  
"Welcome. You've arrived in the Digital World," Izzy snickered, enjoying the look of discomfort on Victor's face.  
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"Sorwa, Sorwa, Sorwa! Get up! Some was yelling into her ear. She groaned. "Get up! Sorwa!" The voice whined. "Sorwa!"  
  
"Okay, I'm awake!" She pushed herself up into a sitting position. Connor sat beside her, dirt smudged across his face and grass sticking out of his golden hair. "What happened?" She asked herself, looking around.  
  
"I dunno," he replied, taking it upon himself to answer. "But now we'rwe at the parwk."  
  
"The park?" She repeated as realization hit her. She stood up. "We're in the Digital World!" She turned, looking in every direction. It had to be. The exotic plants, the blue sky that went on forever, the desert/jungle/forest smell. "We're in the DigiWorld!" She was so happy. She hadn't seen Bi all summer.  
  
"The DigiWorwd, awight!" Connor copied, then stopped. "Which parwk is that?"  
  
"Uh…it's a weird one, with lots of animals."  
  
"Wike the zoo?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
He jumped. "Awight, wet's go!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from where they had landed.  
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Tai stood up and looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened. One minute he's standing in line at El Pollo Loco (the crazy chicken. Yes it's a real restaurant.) then he's in the DigiWorld holding a bag of chicken legs and mashed potatoes. He grinned evilly. He hadn't paid for the food.  
  
"Tai!"   
  
He turned around to see Matt, Gabumon, and Agumon. He dropped the food. "Agumon, hey buddie!" The yellow dinosaur jumped into his arms.  
  
"Tai! I've missed you!"  
  
"I've missed you too!"  
  
"Hey Tai," Matt called from where he stood with his arms crossed beside Gabumon. "Do you know how we got here?"  
  
Tai shook his head. "No idea. I just remember being at the restaurant with you and then I'm here."  
  
"I picked up three signals on my digivice." The blond held up the device with three blinking red lights on separate areas on it. "I think Izzy and Sora are here."  
  
Tai pulled his digivice from his pocket. "Who's the third?"  
  
"I don't know," Matt shrugged. "But we should probably go meet up with them." Tai nodded.  
  
"Tai, what was that?" Agumon asked.  
  
"What was what?" Tai replied fiddling with his digivice while Matt looked over his shoulder.  
  
"What we just ate."  
  
"What you just-" Tai looked up to see Gabumon and Agumon sitting on the floor with empty Pollo Loco boxes sitting between them. "Hey! That's my lunch!"  
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He grunted as he kicked his way through the thick underbrush that surrounded him. He had no idea how he got to this place, but when he came to he was washed up on a beach, soaking wet. At least he was alive, lost, but alive.  
  
He shivered slightly. The heat was drying his clothes, but the shade the trees overhead created gave him quite a chill.  
  
"I can fix that if you'd like," a voice suddenly said to him, causing him to jump.  
  
"Who said that?" He demanded.  
  
"You don't recognize me, old friend?" There came a chuckle. "But its been a long time, hasn't it, Yushiro?"  
.  
"Who the hell are you? Show yourself!" He yelled, fighting off a sickening feeling of fear.  
  
"Behind you," came the reply.  
  
He turned around slowly, as if any sudden movements would cause a lash out from the person behind him. When he stopped he met the black eyes of a Jedi-like man. He looked like someone out of the next star wars movie. Yushiro's blood boiled as his lips curled into a sneer. "Gennai," he growled.  
  
The Jedi man smiled. "Youshiro, my old friend."  
  
"I am not your old friend. I am not your friend period." His charcoal eyes looked Gennai over. "Why do you look like that?"  
  
"Like what?" Gennai laughed, unconcerned by the other man's hatred.  
  
"So young. You're my age."  
  
"I can look any age I wish," Gennai answered. "Why eight years ago I appeared to your son and his friends as a withered old man."  
  
"Where am I? You brought me here, didn't you?" He demanded.  
  
"Your in the Digital World. I brought you here a fraction of a second before that bullet hit your boy."  
  
"He's not my boy!"  
  
"Why do you hate me so much? Does what your son and daughter have become bother you so much? Is your hatred so deep you would kill him and ruin her life?" Gennai demanded. "We never did anything wrong!"  
  
"I told you to stay away from Cassandra. You got Koushiro. She was not meant to be a DigiDestined!"  
  
"Yes, she was," he replied calmly. "I can't ignore destiny. And I can't ignore the hell you've put Cassandra through to get your way. She needed her brother and the Digital World needed its last savior." Gennai shook his head. " Came here to try to reason with you." He reached over and pulled the gun from Yushiro's pocket. "Because this isn't the answer." He threw the weapon away and it dissolved upon hitting the ground. "Why do you hate me so much? We were friends.  
  
"We were best friends," Yushiro sneered.  
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There was an incessant beeping coming from her pocket. Reaching down Kacey pulled the digivice Victor had pushed into her hands earlier. Four red dots beeped on its screen.  
  
"What's that?" Katomomon asked, jumping up and down at her feet.  
  
"It's a digivice. Don't you ever get tired?"  
  
The thing stopped bouncing. "Well, I suppose I am getting tired." I took a flying jump and landed on her head. "I'll just take a nap!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Mama!" She whipped her head up, knocking Katomomon off her head. Two arms wrapped around her knees. "Mama!"  
  
She picked him up and squeezed him. "Connor! What are you doing here?! Are you by yourself?"  
  
"No," someone called. Kacey looked up to see Sora stepping out from behind a line of trees. A pink bird walked beside her. "He just got away from me for a second."  
  
"Thank you for watching him for me," Kacey thanked her, sincerely. "Sorry if he was trouble. He can be a hand full."  
  
Connor grinned in her arms. "I'm a tewow (terror)!" He giggled.  
  
"No, he was fine," Sora smiled. "Are you okay?"  
  
Connor wiggled out of her arms and walked over to where Katomomon had landed. "Who'wer you?" Connor asked, sitting down beside him.  
  
"I'm Katomomon. Who're you?"  
  
"I'm Connor."  
  
Kacey pulled her gaze away from Connor to Sora. "Is he safe with that thing?" She asked in a half-whisper. Sora nodded.   
  
"That thing's a digimon!" The pink bird announced.  
  
Kacey jumped back. Sora laughed, "Kacey, this is my digimon, Biyomon. Biyomon, this is Kacey, Izzy's sister."  
  
Biyomon extended a wing. Kacey shook it, tentatively. "Don't be scared of me. I don't bite."  
  
Never pulling her gaze away from the pink bird, Kacey finally answered Sora's question. "Well, I'm fine, considering. But what's going on?"   
  
Sora shook her head. "I don't know. Connor and I were in the parking lot of your apartment building then we were here. How'd you get here?"  
  
She thought back. "Pretty much the same. We were at my apartment." She biting her lip, she whimpered, "And my dad was pointing a gun at Koushiro."  
  
"He was what?!" Sora barked. She grabbed Kacey by the shoulders and shook her hard. "What the hell did you get him into?!"  
  
"I didn't know he had a gun!" Kacey choked out. "They started arguing and my dad kept saying all this shit about the DigiDestined being evil." Behind them Connor giggled. "Then he told him to leave and he pulled the gun."  
  
"Did he fire?" She demanded. Kacey didn't answer. "Kacey, did he shoot Izzy?" Kacey nodded. "God damn! I need to get back there! I need to find him!"  
  
"Find who?" A voice asked.  
  
The pair looked up to see Matt and Tai with their respective digimon partners. Kacey instinctively scooped Connor off the ground. "Izzy," Sora choked. "Mizuhara shot him."  
  
"What the hell do you mean Mizuhara shot him?!" Matt demanded. "We left you two in the hotel room! What happened?!"  
  
"Victor came over and told us Kacey needed help with her dad. We went over and I left with Connor."  
  
Matt wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sure he's fine. He probably just got pulled here too. We receive another signal beside you two."  
  
"We should start looking for him," Tai spoke up. Matt nodded in reply.  
  
Connor wiggled out of Kacey's arms again and started towards Agumon and Gabumon. Kacey grabbed his arm. "Connor no!"  
  
"Hey, its okay," Tai grinned. "Come over here buddy." Connor pulled away from Kacey and walked over to Tai. "This is my best friend Agumon."  
  
"Hi Agumon!" Connor waved.  
  
"Hi!"  
  
Connor laughed. "Yourw superw coow wooking! Just wike in my dinosauw book! Yourw a ty-wanna-sorw-us wex!" He roared like a dinosaur. (Translation: Your super cool looking! Just like in my dinosaur book! You're a tyrannosaurus rex!)  
  
Agumon looked at Tai in confusion. "What did he just say?"  
  
Tai laughed. "Don't worry about it buddy."  
  
"Come," Matt cut in. "The last signal is that way." He started off with the others trailing behind him. Kacey trailed behind with Katomomon perched on her head once more.  
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Youshiro shivered. "Why don't we get you dried off?" Gennai suggested.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere-" Gennai snapped his fingers and instantly Youshiro's clothes were dried. "With you…"  
  
"No need," Gennai replied. "We can stay right here."  
  
"We aren't staying anywhere! Send me home," the charcoal-eyed man commanded.  
  
"I can't do that, Youshiro," Gennai replied sadly. "Not until you promise to leave Cassandra alone. It's not your place to mess with her or her destiny. As I remember you renounced yourself as her father the same day you did your son!" Youshiro didn't reply, just looked away. "If you want it to be this way fine, you find your own way home. But I can't take you home. And if this proves your point that DigiDestined are evil, so be it. But I'm sick of you." Gennai turned to leave before he stopped and faced Youshiro again. "Tell me why you hate us so much. Or is it just me?"  
  
"It's always been you…"  
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"Where are we going?" Victor groaned.  
  
Izzy stopped and glanced over, annoyed at Victor's constant distrust. "I'm not going to lead you over a cliff," he retorted.  
  
"Where are you taking me then?"  
  
Izzy held up his digivice. "You see these four dots? We're going towards them because odds are that's my friends and Kacey."  
  
"How do you figure?" Victor asked, catching up to the red head DigiDestined.  
  
"This thing is a digivice. It picks up the signal of other DigiDestined, as long as they have their digivice," Izzy explained. "That way if we get lost, like we are right now, we can each other."  
  
"That's pretty cool," Victor replied, impressed. "Can I see?" Izzy nodded and handed the device to Victor.   
  
They continued to walk along in silence. "Hey Victor?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"How'd you meet Kacey? And how come you're with her?" He asked. "I have to say I'm a little impressed. A girl with a kid would probably scare me off."  
  
"Well, it did when I first met her and I didn't call her for over three weeks. I met her at the club. It was New Years. I was there with a bunch of my friends and she was singing. When I finally worked the balls to get her number, we ended up talking for the rest until three in the morning. I instantly fell for her. I met her two days after because I had to recover from a totally massive hangover and we went out. I met Connor that day and the kid scared the hell out of me." He sighed, "Like I said I didn't call her, but I really did like her so I called her again and begged for another date." He laughed despite himself. "But I really do love Connor, he's a great kid." He glanced at Izzy. "He's my son." A beeping sound rose from the digivice and Victor threw it at Izzy. "I swear I didn't do anything!"  
  
Izzy looked at the digivice. "We're close."  
  
"IZZY!" Izzy looked up to see Sora rushing him. She jumped into his arms and kissed him. "Izzy I was so worried. I thought you were dead!" She cried.  
  
He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "No, I'm alright," he reassured her, his voice soft. "Don't worry."  
  
"Kacey!" Victor called out overjoyed. He ran over to her and scooped her off her feet. "God, I'm so glad your safe." She smiled as she hugged him. "You are alright, right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine Victor," she replied, kissing him.  
  
"Me too!" Connor yelled as he jumped up and down beside the two.  
  
Katomomon copied him. "Me too!"  
  
Victor jumped back, leaving Connor bewildered. "What? I'm not scawy!"  
  
Before Victor could say anything, Izzy stepped forward and crouched beside Katomomon. "Who's this?" He asked Kacey.  
  
"I don't know. The hyper little thing just started following me and won't leave me alone," she shrugged.  
  
Izzy laughed. "I think you found yourself a partner. What's your name little guy?"  
  
"I'm Katomomon!" It laughed before jumping off and tackling Connor.  
  
"But I wasn't looking!" Kacey argued.  
  
"So now that we're all here," Matt cut in. "Why are we here and how did we get here?" He looked to Izzy for answers.  
  
"I don't know," Izzy admitted, looking down at Sora in his arms. "But it kept me from getting shot, so I'm just thankful." Sora hugged him tighter. "But I think we should look for a port home. Or maybe find Gennai." He glanced over at Kacey who leaned against Victor with his arms around her waist. "He'll probably want to speak to you." She nodded in response.  
  
"Alright, well now that that's settled, let's walk," Tai suggested, taking over command as he was so skilled to do. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and I want to go home. I'm hungry!"  
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Youshiro stared at Gennai, his eyes burning with hate. "It was always you!"  
  
"Why?" Gennai burst out, losing his control. "Youshiro, I never did anything to you!"  
  
Youshiro ground his teeth, biting back all remarks he wanted to scream. "It was you and the damned DigiDestined."  
  
Gennai rubbed his forehead. "We're regressing, Youshiro and this is making less sense."  
  
"You always got it my way!" He yelled. "You we're always there wrecking what I had!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" He cried out, his hands clenched.  
  
"With Cassandra!"  
  
"Your daughter?"  
  
"My wife!"  
  
Gennai stepped back. "Youshiro, you know I never meant to-what happened, that was just-"  
  
"Save it, Gennai. Send me home."  
  
"Youshiro, listen to me," Gennai begged. "Please."  
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The group of seven humans and five digimon (they just met up with Tentomon) walked through the forest of the DigiWorld, talking loudly. Izzy walked beside Kacey, talking about digimon while Connor and the digimon ran ahead playing. Sora, Matt, and Tai joked and talked about nothing, as they walked in the lead of everyone else. Victor brought up the rear, spacing himself as much as he could from the digimon.  
  
Matt, Sora and Tai stopped. "Do you guys hear that?" Matt announced.  
  
Kacey, giggling from a story Izzy had been telling, looked up and listened. Her smile disappeared. "That's my dad," she replied in a panicked tone.  
  
"There's two voices," Victor spoke up, catching up to the group.   
  
"That's Gennai," Tai replied.  
  
"Connor!" Kacey called out. The golden-haired child stopped. "Come back here. I want you to stay with us." He ran back, with Katomomon chasing him. Victor scooped him up on his shoulders.  
  
"'Momomon, come up hewe!" Connor called to the pink ball. Katomomon jumped into Connor's arms, leaving Victor anxiously tense.  
  
Matt motioned them forward. They advanced slowly. Through the trees they could see two figures standing there talking. One was a black haired man, Youshiro Mizuhara, and the other was a brown haired man, dressed in a robe, Gennai.  
  
"You always got it my way!" Mizuhara yelled. "You we're always there wrecking what I had!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gennai cried back, his hands clenched.  
  
"With Cassandra!" Kacey's breath caught in her throat.  
  
"Your daughter?"  
  
"My wife!" Kacey and Izzy exchanged glances.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Izzy whispered.  
  
"I don't know, but that can't be Gennai," Kacey whispered pointing to Gennai.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He was my foster agent."  
  
"Your foster agent?" Tai asked.  
  
Kacey nodded. "He handled everything when it came to homes I was living in and stuff along that nature. He made it so that none of the foster families I lived with could make me give up Connor."  
  
"What're they saying now?" Victor asked.  
  
"Youshiro, listen to me. Please," Gennai pleaded. Youshiro turned away with his arms crossed, refusing to look at Gennai. "The things that happened with Cassandra, we never meant for things to turn out the way they did."  
  
Youshiro whipped around and grabbed Gennai by the front of his robe. "Never meant for them to turn out the way they did?!" He punched him in the mouth, sending the other men to the ground. He turned around, refusing to look at Gennai.  
  
"Do you feel better now? Now that you've hit me, does that make it better?" Gennai asked.  
  
"No," Youshiro said softly. "It makes me hate you more."  
  
Gennai still lay on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth. "Why?"  
  
"Because you won't fight back. Because I know you're sorry." He turned back. "I want to take out my aggravation on you, I want a fight!"  
  
"Maybe we should break this up?" Kacey spoke up.  
  
"No," Matt blocked. "This is between them."  
  
"So we just spy?" She snapped upset.  
  
Matt stared at her. "Well, yeah."  
  
Gennai pushed himself off the floor. "What do you want then?" He demanded desperately.  
  
"I want the DigiDestined wiped off the face of the earth."  
  
Izzy caught Kacey's arm. "What are they talking about?"  
  
She shook her head. "I don't know. Dad never talked about what happened before you and me."  
  
With his hands clenched so hard they shook and his teeth gritted, Youshiro stared daggers at Gennai. "Because you, all of you, were physically advanced then everyone else."  
  
"Is that what this is all about? Your jealous?"  
  
Youshiro froze. "I-I guess I am. I never thought-" He shook his head to clear his uncertainty. "You-you always had something more then I did. You always held it over me. You were something more."  
  
"I think he's talking about the DigiDestined before us," Tai said thoughtfully. "Gennai was one."  
  
"So was our mom," Izzy added.  
  
"Okay, so what we had something more?! We risked our lives and nearly got killed repeatedly!"  
  
"But you had her! You had Cassandra because you knew what it was like to risk your life and be in another world. She could go to you for every friggin' thing! God damn you Gennai."  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened! You don't know how sorry I am. I-"  
  
The pair looked up at the sound of screaming. The six in the bushes stared, mortified at Connor and Katomomon who were screaming their heads off. "Connor, what's wrong?"  
  
He stopped. "Nofing. We wewe hafing a scweaming contest." (Nothing. We were having a screaming contest.)  
  
"Cassandra, Koushiro, get out here now!" Their father's voice commanded.  
  
She tensed, Izzy shrugged. "Might as well do as he says." He pulled Connor from Victor's shoulders and they stepped out of the bushes with Tentomon and Katomomon following them. Sora, Matt, Tai and Victor stayed out of sight.  
  
"How long were you standing there?" Gennai asked, wiping the blood from his mouth.  
  
"I don't know," Izzy shrugged. "Long enough to get the drift of the conversation, but not enough to understand it."  
  
"We will finish this later, Youshiro."  
  
"We will finish this now, Gennai! You brought me here, so let's finish it."  
  
"This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with your kids."  
  
"Is that what you really believe, Gennai? Is that what you've convinced yourself?"  
  
Gennai rubbed his face with his hands. "Fine, you can have your way. Let's talk about this. Let's figure out what the hell we're doing." He looked at the two. "Izzy, give Connor back to Victor. The four of us need to talk." When Izzy didn't move, Gennai snapped his fingers and Connor disappeared from Izzy's arms.  
  
"Where's he go?" Kacey demanded.  
  
"He went back to your apartment. I sent all of your friends back." Izzy nodded and gave Kacey's hand a sharp reassuring squeeze.  
  
Gennai smiled. "Hello Kacey, it's been a while hasn't it?"  
  
"What're you talking about 'been a while'? You were supposed to stay away from her!" Youshiro snapped.  
  
"That's between her and me, now isn't it?" Gennai replied, spitefully.  
  
"You want something between her and you? How about between the three of you? Why don't you tell them the truth?" Youshiro was doing his best to provoke him.  
  
"You know I can't do that," Gennai snarled.  
  
Izzy took his sister's arm. "Kac, why don't you and I go over here. Let them talk again." She nodded and let him pull her away. They walked through the trees that surrounded the clearing the two men stood in. Once they were sure they were out of sight Izzy lead her back to where they had been watching them from before.  
  
"I'm sick of doing this for you. I'm sick of hiding for you," Youshiro yelled. "Your a bastard. You take everything from me, disappear and then reappear whenever the hell you feel like."  
  
"Youshiro, I'm sorry."  
  
"Stick your sorries up your ass. I'm through dealing with you Gennai! I'm sick of this." His hands clenched to a point where they were shaking again. "Why do you do this? Those kids, I never wanted them!" He pointed in the direction Izzy and Kacey had gone. "They weren't my responsibility! But I kept them on the assumption that they were not to have any contact with you or become DigiDestined. You lied to me, you screwed me!"  
  
Izzy felt Kacey's hand tighten on his.  
  
"They're your kids, Gennai!" Gennai retained his unexpressive composure, ignoring the blood that ran from his mouth still. "I'm not going to get anything out of you am I? Fine, I really don't care. But I hope your willing to deal with the consequences because they're right there." He pointed to where Izzy and Kacey crouched in the bushes. Gennai stared at them, wide eyed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, what did you think? This didn't turn out the way I planned it, but that's okay I suppose. Please review! 


	10. Who You Are To Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.  
  
  
  
Searching  
  
  
  
Kacey gasped as Izzy's hand tightened on her shoulder. Did Mizuhara just say Gennai was…their father?  
  
Gennai whipped around to look at Youshiro again. A hand connected with Youshiro's cheek. "You asshole! You knew they were hiding there!" Gennai screamed, his clenched hands shaking in rage.  
  
Youshiro steadied himself on his feet, holding his cheek. "So what? It's a week from their eighteenth. Its about time they knew."  
  
"They weren't supposed to know until after their eighteenth birthday," Gennai growled at him.  
  
"I'm sick of lying Gennai," Youshiro barked, jabbing himself in the chest. "Its time to take care of your responsibility."  
  
"Youshiro, I came here to talk to you. To YOU! I was going to offer you an explanation. But I can't now." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Goodbye Youshiro." In a flash he was gone. "Goodbye Koushiro, Cassandra. I'm sorry you were caught in our mess." With that he turned and walked from the clearing.  
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Izzy forced open his eyes as a groan escaped from his lips. The room he was lying in was dark and his eyes wouldn't focus. There was a weight on his chest, making breathing harder, but he ignored it. He and Kacey had been in the Digital World and it was bright there. This place was dark and there were most certainly inside. He blinked a few times to get his eyes to clear.  
  
Now he was staring up at the ceiling of what he recognized to be Kacey's apartment. Kacey was lying on top of him. And he top was soaked through with a dark red substance. Blood.  
  
"Kacey!" He pushed her unconscious body off him as he attempted to get up. Had she bee shot? A sharp pain ripping through his arm answered his question. No, he had. It was his blood soaked into her shirt.  
  
Kacey sat up, looking groggy. "Izzy, what happened?" She asked, her voice sounding weak.  
  
"I…don't know." He moved his hand over his arm, trying to hide the blood trailing down it. Suddenly he wasn't feeling so good. "We're at your apartment."  
  
She stood up. "Connor! Victor!" She called. She turned around and froze. Izzy followed her eyes to see Youshiro unconscious on the couch. "I guess it's just us three. I better call Victor's cell and find out where they are."  
  
"Right," Izzy replied, his voice wavering.  
  
She glanced back at him. "Izzy, what's wrong?"  
  
"N-nothing," he insisted, steadying his voice. "Go call Victor."  
  
She crouched down beside him. "Lemme see your arm. You wouldn't be hiding it like that if it were nothing." When he refused she grabbed his hand. "Hold still!" She pulled his hand away from his arm and her eyes widened. "Holy shit," she whispered.  
  
He gritted his teeth. "Its fine. Don't worry about it."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, tough guy." She stood up and pulled him onto unsteady feet. Lose of blood made him unbalanced. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they staggered to the bathroom. She let him collapse on the toilet. "Hold up your arms." He did, grimacing in pain. She hefted his blood soaked over his head and arms and tossed it into the tub with a splat. Blood trailed down the drain. Soaking a cloth in water, she gently wiped his arm clean to reveal a graze across his upper arm. "Its not too deep. Don't worry, you'll live." She reached under the sink and pulled a first aide kit out.  
  
"Your good at this," Izzy commented as she pulled some gauze from the box.  
  
"I've had experience," she replied, covering the wound in gauze. "Victor used to run with a gang. He was constantly getting into trouble." She wrapped his arm with a soft white bandage. "I've treated him with three gun shots. All so he wouldn't go to jail." She laughed. "This is no problem." She tugged at the knot of the bandages. "Done," she replied, satisfied.  
  
He moved his arm and forced down the pain that ripped through it. "Thanks. It feels a lot better."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Don't lie, I know it still hurts like hell. The bandages are just to stop it from bleeding." She was laughing at him now. "I'll get you some pain killers and a shirt." Out front there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get that first."  
  
"Kac," Izzy called.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You may want to change your shirt too," he gestured to her blood soaked shirt. She nodded and stripped off her tee shirt, tossing it into the bathtub with his shirt. He automatically looked away, a blush creeping over the bridge of his nose and through his cheeks.  
  
She walked out of the bathroom and into the living room. The person outside her door knocked again. "Just a second," she called as she stopped at the laundry basket by the end of the couch and pulled a pull tank top over her head. She opened the door to reveal a white haired and wrinkled older woman standing there, looking at her with soft worried gray eyes. "Hi, Mrs. Demagio, how can I help you?" She smiled as the scent of lilies, the woman's perfume, rose to her nose.  
  
Mrs. Wendy Demagio was her next-door neighbor. The sweet sixty-some woman was a wonderful help to Kacey constantly. "Is everything all right here?" The woman asked, her voice soft and frail. "I thought I heard a gun shot."  
  
Kacey swallowed hard and forced a pained laugh. "No, it was the TV. I had it up way too loud."  
  
The wrinkled woman nodded in understanding. "Why are your hands red, dearie?"  
  
Kacey glanced down at her hands. They were red from Izzy's blood. "Kool Aide!" She replied quickly.  
  
"Kool Aide?"  
  
Kacey nodded. "I was making Kool Aide for Connor. And when that gun shot on TV went off I jumped and knocked over the container. I've been cleaning it up."  
  
"Well do you need any help?" She offered.  
  
"NO!" Kacey snapped. "No, thank you. I'm almost done."  
  
"Alright, well, I'll let you get back to cleaning." She started to leave and Kacey breathed a sigh of relief. She really hated lying to this woman. Then she stopped and Kacey tensed again. "Did you and Victor break up?"  
  
"No, what would make you think that?" Kacey laughed nervously.  
  
"Well, him."  
  
Kacey looked over her shoulder. Izzy was standing at the far end of the living room with no shirt on, watching them. An embarrassed blush covered her cheeks. "No, that's my brother. He's visiting from Japan."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Mrs. Demagio called to him. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Kacey dear. Oh here." She pulled out a folded twenty-dollar bill from the pocket of her apron and pressed it into Kacey's hand. "I know your birthday is coming up and-"  
  
"Oh, Mrs. Demagio, I can't accept this," Kacey replied as she tried to hand it back.  
  
"Yes, yes you can. Have a good day Kacey." With that the woman turned and left.  
  
Kacey closed the door and unfolded the bill. A second fell to the floor. "She gave me forty dollars," she said dumbfounded. She sighed, "Now I have to figure out how to give it back." Izzy coughed and she looked up at him. "Oh, I'll get you a shirt." She disappeared down the hall into her room.  
  
Izzy looked around awkwardly and focused on Youshiro Mizuahara. Who was this man?  
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He wasn't sure where he was, but he was sure it was the real or Digital World.  
  
"Youshiro."  
  
He whipped around at his name, but only saw white. There was no one there. He closed his eyes.  
  
"Youshiro."  
  
'Leave me alone.'  
  
"'Shrio."  
  
He opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. Before him stood a tall woman, dark red hair and olive colored skin. Her small red lips held a small smile as her hands rested, folded together against the front of her blue kimono.  
  
"Cassandra," he breathed out.  
  
"Hi 'Shiro." Her voice was small and her gray eyes were soft. "We need to speak."  
  
"I'd rather not," he replied honestly. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be dead."  
  
"And I am." She stepped towards him. "You know what this is about, 'Shiro. You know why I've come here to talk to you."  
  
"So what if I do?" he snapped stepping away.  
  
"Youshiro, I'm sorry. I will tell you this a hundred times over and I can't feel it any more then I do and you won't believe me still. What do you want of me?" She begged. "I love you. Do you remember when you said that and meant it? The day I died. Do you remember what else you told me? Do you remember your promise?"  
  
"What does a promise matter?" He retorted back angrily. "Gennai made a promise to me and he broke that!"  
  
"Gennai made a promise he shouldn't have. He has no control over who the DigiDestined are. What he did was wrong. He just wanted to do what was right."  
  
"Pawning off his kids onto me isn't right!" He screamed.  
  
She looked away. "We're sorry," she whispered. "'Shiro, I don't know what to say anymore. Koushiro and Cassandra were a mistake, but I can't and I wouldn't want to reverse it."  
  
"Cassandra I promised to look after them, but I couldn't. I didn't want them and I didn't need the responsibility."  
  
"Why won't you listen?" She demanded. "That's all Gennai wanted. He just wanted to explain to you why you got 'stuck' with our kids."  
  
"Because he's a dead beat."  
  
"He has responsibilities."  
  
"He's scum!" Her hand slapped him across the face and he just stood there. Then, "You hit pretty hard for a dream waking ghost."  
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Kacey held the phone to her ear and continued to talk to Connor as Izzy switched on the television. After a short phone search they had found out that their friends had been transported to Izzy's hotel. Izzy and Kacey decided it would be best for them to stay there while they spoke with Mizuhara. Everyone, but them, would be safe that way.  
  
"Connor, I'll come get you later, okay?" She cooed to her sobbing three-year-old son. "I know you want to come home, but I've got some stuff to do." Izzy listen to her over the sound of the television. "I'll see you later, okay… Love you." She clicked the cordless phone off and sighed. "He's been throwing a fit since we disappeared."  
  
"Poor kid," Izzy replied from where he sat in an overstuffed red chair.  
  
She walked over to him. "Scoot over." He shifted over and she plopped down beside him, half in his lap. "So what are you going to do now?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, I kinda got you figured out. Ulterior motive and stuff. Now that you've told me that I'm a DigiDestined and practically destroyed my family life, what are you going to do? Go back to Japan?"  
  
Izzy let out a nervous laugh. "I seriously never meant for any of this to happen. But you figured me out. This was all about the DigiDestined. I didn't even want to come out here, but Gennai said I had to."  
  
"Why didn't you want to?" She asked sounding disappointed.  
  
"I dunno. Somethings are better left unsaid. When I originally found out I was adopted I hated my parents. I felt betrayed and refused to acknowledge them into my life. When I finally fixed my relationship, I just didn't want to know about my real parents. I felt that if I asked it would be like I was betraying them."  
  
"That's logical," she nodded.  
  
"But I guess it wasn't betraying them. Actually, come to think of I, my anger was justified. They did lie to me."  
  
"About being your parents?"  
  
"No, about what happened to my parents." His hand traced circular patterns into the arm of the chair. "They said my parents died in a car accident."  
  
Kacey didn't say anything at first. Then, "I'm going to try and put this into perspective for you." He gestured for her to go on. "Put yourself in their shoes. You have a son whose mother died giving birth to him and his sister. Even more the father of said son abandon him for America, taking his sister with him. How do you explain that?"  
  
"Good question," he replied. "Kacey, I'm sorry about everything that happened. This thing with your dad-"  
  
She pressed two fingers to his lips. "Its cool. Don't be sorry for any of this."  
  
He opened his mouth to say something else, but the sight of Mizuhara shifting on the couch stopped him. He sat up, his chin rested on his chest and his eyes closed tight. "Dad?" He waved her off.  
  
Izzy got up. "Mr. Mizuhara? Are you alright?"  
  
"What are you still doing here?" His voice sounded strain and his face contorted in pain.   
  
Izzy's blood boiled. "I'm not leaving."  
  
"Good. I owe you and your sister an explanation." He rubbed his temples. "Cassandra, get me something to drink."  
  
"Yes sir." She hurried off to the kitchen.  
  
He pushed himself around so his feet were on the floor. "Sit down, Koushiro," Youshiro Mizuhara ordered. Izzy sat down on the chair as Kacey came back into the room carrying a tall glass of water. He took the glass and thirstily drank the entire thing. "Sit down Cassandra." She sat down beside Izzy again. "I assume you realize what Gennai and I were speaking about in the Digital World."  
  
"Gennai's our father?" Izzy answered.  
  
"Yep."  
  
Izzy let out a loud breath. "Why? How?"  
  
"A year after your mother and I got married, she cheated on me. With Gennai. And she got pregnant."  
  
"Then why convince us you're our dad?"  
  
"Shortly before you were born Gennai disappeared. I thought he was being a dead beat, but he wasn't. And your mom knew. So your mother and I planned on settling down together with you two. But then when you were born she died. Before she died she made me promise to take care of you and not give you up, despite having every intention to. I agreed." He looked up at the ceiling. "Gennai visited me at the hospital that night. He wanted to talk to me about you two because he didn't know about the promise I made to your mother. So he begged me to take care of you too. I agreed on one condition."  
  
"We'd never become DigiDestined," Izzy speculated.  
  
"Bingo," Youshiro nodded. "But you did and I gave you up. I was angry and the pain from losing my wife and being cheated on by my best friend was still there. I couldn't have you there as a reminder. I'm sorry Koushiro for what pain I may have caused you."  
  
"Why couldn't Gennai stay with us?" Kacey asked.  
  
"It has something to do with being a guardian to the Digital World. I'm not sure."  
  
"So you'd be…"  
  
"More or less your step father." They sat in silence before Youshiro stood up abruptly. "Excuse me." He disappeared onto the balcony.  
  
Izzy glanced at Kacey. 'We're the result of an affair gone wrong,' he thought in disgust. 'Youshiro didn't do anything wrong. Besides trying to shoot me. But everything else…was Gennai.'  
  
Kacey stared after Youshiro, a worried expression etched on her face. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes." She got up and Izzy watched her walk outside.  
  
She closed the sliding glass door and walked out into the cool night air. From the street below cars honked and ambulance sirens wailed. It was foggy out so the streetlights looked faded. But the apartment was above the fog and the stars above shown brightly like glittering diamonds.  
  
And Mizuhara leaned against the railing sobbing.  
  
She had never seen him like this. He never showed emotion, he was always as hard as a rock. He could strike fear into who he pleased. He never opened up like this. And it scared her more then if he were threatening her.  
  
"Dad?" She spoke up. "Sir?"  
  
"Drop the sir," he muttered.  
  
"Dad, are you okay?" She asked, her voice small and quiet. One hand gripped the railing as her black eyes stared at him in concern and worry.  
  
"Why are you still calling me that?" He snapped. "I'm not your father."  
  
Her anger peaked up. "So?!" She demanded. "Neither is Gennai! He didn't raise me! Well, technically you didn't, but that's beside the point. You're my dad because you were my first memory. You took care of me when I was little. You were there." She glanced away. "Sort of."  
  
"But I gave you up."  
  
"Yeah, you did and I fucking hate you for that!" He gave her a warning look. "I hate you more then anything for giving me up and I'm scared to death of you because of all your threats. But your still who I remember as my dad. And you did take care of me before you gave me away. You may not think you are, but I do. And you can't convince me otherwise."  
  
"Cassie." She froze, he never called her that. "Everything I did, I was trying to do what was right. I wasn't equipped to raise you."  
  
"Well, you did it all wrong. But you can fix it now. Let me keep Connor and let me be with my brother."  
  
He turned and he threw his arms around her in a hug, catching her off guard. She froze, not sure what he was doing, but he didn't notice and hugged her harder. "I miss your mother so much."  
  
She patted his back stiffly. "Its okay, dad."  
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Izzy swallowed hard as he watched the pair through the window. All of a sudden he wanted nothing more then to be in Japan with his real parents, the Izumi's.  
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"Happy birthday!" Kacey and Izzy grinned identical grins as they walked into the nightclub where Kacey worked. All their friends were gathered there for a surprise party for the pair. Connor jumped down from Victor's arms and ran over to the two.  
  
"'Appy Biwftay!" He yelled as he held out a folded piece of blue construction paper with green and purple scribbling on it. "It's a cawd."  
  
She picked him up. "Thank you!" Victor and Mac approached her with cocky grins on their faces. "Did you plan this?"  
  
"Daddy did!" Conner cheered. "And Mac! And Tai! And Matt! And Sowa!"  
  
Izzy hugged Sora. "Thank you!"  
  
"I had to get you back for my party," she smiled.  
  
"I was wondering why it said closed out front," Kacey commented.  
  
"Yeah, I'm losing a ton of business, but its for you," Mac joked, kissing her cheek. "Happy birthday, babe."  
  
"IZZY!"   
  
Izzy fell to the floor as a huge weight fell on top of him. He looked up to see Kari, Yolie, and Mimi on top of him. "Wha-what are you guys doing here?"  
  
Kari and Mimi got up, leaving Yolie clutching tightly to Izzy. "Hey!" Sora yelled in unison with Davis as he, TK, Ken, Cody, and Joe came up behind her.  
  
Matt helped him up. "Well, we figured we couldn't let you spend your birthday with out all of us. So Gennai flew them out," he answered as he wrapped his arm around Izzy's shoulders and gave him a noogie.  
  
"Izzy, where's your sister?" Mimi cried.  
  
Izzy glanced over his shoulder to see Kacey being overwhelmed by all her friends. "Kac." She looked up. "Come here." She walked over, with Conner in her arms and Victor following her. They stopped beside Izzy. "Kacey, these are my friends and DigiDestined Mimi, Joe, Yolie, Davis, Cody, Ken, Tai's sister Kari, and Matt's brother TK. Guys, this is my sister Kacey, her son Connor, and her boyfriend Victor."  
  
A series of 'nice to meet you's and other greetings circulated between them.  
  
"Oh your son is so cute!" Yolie squealed.  
  
"Thank you," Kacey replied.  
  
"I'm not cute!" Connor crossed his arms indignantly. "I'm a tewow." Ohhs and awws rang out from the group.  
  
**~~~**An hour or so into the party**~~~**  
  
Izzy followed Victor up onto the stage where Kacey's band (minus Kacey) was playing the music for the party. The band instantly quieted as the guys grabbed two mics. "Everyone look up here," Izzy announced. Everyone turned and looked at them.  
  
"Alright, thank you," Victor spoke up. "First I want to thank all of you for coming out and to all of those who we had to pay to come, which I think is all of you, you will be receiving that payment in small unmarked bills." The crowd laughed. "But seriously my good friend, Izzy the birthday boy and I have an announcement and a question to make."  
  
"So, here goes nothing." Izzy and Victor glanced at each other before looking at the crowd. "Sora."  
  
"Kacey."  
  
"Will you marry me?"  
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Gennai stood at the back of the club watching the party, a sad smile on his face. Kacey and Izzy were going to be alright.  
  
  
  
  
  
And I'm done! This story is over! Okay, I dunno about the end, but I thought it was good!  
Okay, now for some explanations because people have asked me stuff.  
  
Gennai, Youshiro and Cassandra (Izzy and Kacey's mom) were best friends when they were younger. They had a Tai/Matt/Sora friendship. Gennai and Cassandra were original DigiDestined.  
  
Connor is NOT Victor's son. If you really want to know who Connor's dad is....lets say, he's a (as of age now) 21 year old rock star from Tennesse.  
  
I realize in a perivous chapter Victor called Kacey his fiance, that was not a mistake. I was going to make it so he proposed to her that chapter, but I changed it. Victor is an ex-gang banger who is now interning in a lawfirm.  
  
I think that's it as far as explanations. If I missed something lemme know. Thank you for reading this! Please review!  
  
BoarderKC  
Brittany 


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